Harry Potter:The Snakes Chamber
by Lillianpeace
Summary: Squeal to Harry Potter and the Witches of Hogwarts come along with Juliet Black and Hermione Black. This year they hope is better than their last, but when you're friends with Harry Potter no year will ever be pleasant. With bogus teacher's, death eaters and a certain long haired dragon taming Wealsey all arriving at Hogwarts.
1. Alone

_**Here is the revised edition for Harry Potter and the Snakes Chamber, still no real clue why it was taken down but hell I am reposting. If you don't like don't read, I can and WILL make Juliet how I see fit so go toss a shit fit elsewhere. I own nothing about Harry Potter other than new characters thank you.**_

 _ **The end of summer…**_

Anyone walking around the manor on this day would have noticed a girl who was sitting in the Garden, her unruly hair covering her face as she read one of her many books. Even as Cassiopeia glanced at her baby her heart hurt knowing that her life wasn't destined to be easy. One day she would find out the truth, it was a web of tragic events but Cassiopeia knew her niece would rise to the occasion with a fierce devotion to those she loved. But for now, she knew Juliet was bloody well angry, to say the least with her lack of allowance out of the manor grounds and with Hermione off in Paris with Jane for two weeks. But fear of the Death eater attacks kept her from allowing Juliet out, she couldn't lose her. But Sebastian Snape her soulmate shined a little reason, with that she wrote Molly Weasley, another mother who was devoted to those in her care.

"Molly, 

I hope my letter find's you well in these troubling times, thank you for coming to Juliet's birthday celebration. Although I wish this letter was under better circumstances, I have let fear rule over me with her attack at Hogwarts. She hasn't been let outside with her friends, of course they have come here but she hasn't left the manor. Would you take her for the reminder of the summer holidays? I know she is safe with your great family, the wards we have placed on the Burrow are well placed. Please write back as soon as possible, it gives me such distress seeing her so down.

-Cassiopeia Snape"

I watched as my owl, Hestia, flew out of the large window until she was gone bearing the letter to Molly, a while later turning away from Juliet who barely took notice of me standing feet away. She used to be so indecisive on her own behavior torn on how to act, now she was Lady Black there was no acting any other way.

 **-Juliet point of view-**

I knew my Aunt was watching me as I read our garden was filled with sunshine and aromas all so very relaxing, I flipped the page looking down at a letter from Neville.

"Lady Black-

Two days ago in Appleby-in-Westmorland, three muggle's were killed with the Dark Mark risen over their property. I heard Grandmother telling Uncle about it over tea, the ministry is covering it up they don't want to cause a panic so they hid the facts. Rumors of Death eater attacks have risen, also Sue's Aunt is Head of Magic Law Enforcement. Sue sent me a letter coded to relay to you. Her Aunt was attacked your Uncle Sebastian came to her aid now she has been getting threatening letters. That is all I can say right now, more when we see each other at Kings cross.

Faithfully yours N. Longbottom."

This was escalating rather fast "Juju," I called out once.

"Young miss called for her Juju," seeing Juju gave me the best memories.

I answered, "Take this to Susan Bones, don't wait for a reply," a letter sealed with green wax and the Black symbol shined.

I was a head strong girl but at times even I felt weak even when the knowledge was known that my family had only my protection and interest at heart. I wasn't one to take kindly to being stuck in the Manor, isolated from my friends. Having row's with my Uncle and Grandmother "I am not a child anymore, I am not safe anywhere. But I don't see any of you jumping to tell me why. Why am I and Harry under attack from rogue death eaters?" was heard through the Manor when Albus came to see me.

 **Other point of view…**

Her hair was a mass of sheer crackling magic the unruliness came from her love of potion making, it caused her curls to become wild untamed at least it wasn't greasy. Thank Merlin.

Pop pop answered, "For now you are too young," his bright eyes twinkling but I wasn't buying what he was selling.

She scoffed, "Oh don't start that with me Pop pop. I wasn't too young to have to defend and kill a professor, to face much more. I know you're not telling me something and you better pray to Merlin it doesn't come back to bite you in the bum," her raven hair frizzled as she stormed from the room her magic crackling over her skin as she slammed her door.

She stood from the dirt her jeans torn in several spots her shirt was white and very modern with some tiny burn holes due to her Potion experiments. Her bare feet cooled once hitting the West wing marble floor, her eyes turned to the sky when a brown bolt started descending rather fast. Her eyes moved with it, it couldn't be dangerous or the wards would never have allowed it.

A rather loud explosion that was sending dirt and flowers flailing in every direction she reached up pulling a Moon lace from her black hair her face covered in dirt in frustration she blew a bit of dirt from her mouth "AUNTIE," she screamed out rather annoyed but not alarmed.

The worried voice "My darling, what was that," her Aunt ran her wand drawn ready for an attack.

Juliet answered, "Something shot from the sky and landed in the bloody garden," Juliet had her wand out her book tucked into her pants as they moved closer, with a strangled hoot Errol passed out in a large pot of dirt covered in destroyed flowers.

"Bloody hell, that birds a menace," Juliet laughed causing bright pink sparks to shoot out from her wand all around her the flowers bloomed.

Her Aunt scolded, "The poor thing help me with him Juliet, stop laughing," but her Aunt's smile gave her away as Juliet gladly jumped in the dirt lifting Errol as softly as her arms would allow.

She noticed how her Aunt retrieved the letter as she lay Errol in a cage with food and water, only a small hoot of thanks told her he was still alive somehow. "Juliet, get your school trunk and extra clothes, you are going to spend the rest of summer with the Weasley's. I am very sorry we have kept you locked away most of the summer. But with the death eaters attacking it is very dangerous right now. But hurry we must leave soon. Juju," Cassiopeia called and the little elf appeared smiling while bowing low.

Cassiopeia smiled, "Help Juliet, pack she leaves at once for the Burrow," with those last words and a light breeze. All the two saw was Cassiopeia's blood red cloak before she turned the corner heading towards the study.

Juliet smiled, "Come on, I get to go see my friends Juju," the elf took her small hand with a faint pop they vanished reappearing in her suite.

"Juju, is there something going on?" Juliet was ready but dread creeped in.

Juju answered, "Yes little miss, but Mistress Snape made me promise not to tell," Juju looked ready to hurt herself when Juliet took her hand. So something was going on first with Amelia and now here, the Weasley's might know now she had to find a way to get the information.

She saw her Aunt smiling waiting for her, with a charm her trunk was shrunk and in her pocket, as they walked out of the manors large oak doors, they closed on there own or so it seemed. "Juliet, your Uncle and I are going on a short vacation while you're away for this two last weeks. We will see you at Kings Cross station on the first. Be good for Molly my little love," Cassiopeia Snape nee Black was regal looking with her wine colored hair, her bone structure was flawless high regal cheek bones. The way she carried herself was hand taught by the head female of her house, unfortunate I can't say the same for Bellatrix, but Narcissa along with Andromeda had the regal stature.

They vanished, it was never a welcomed feeling the twisting and turning but for us it was the easy way of traveling, Juliet rather use the floo.

"Is everything okay?" Juliet's now cool, calm tone chimed in once they reached the spot at the very top of the large green hill, if you looked down you could see the Burrow even further down was a house in the shape of a rook.

Cassiopeia answered, "For now everything is well, just have a good time my dear," Cassiopeia didn't really like lying it was unbecoming but a half-truth would do for her baby. She looked down seeing Juliet looking down so her eyes turned, four gingers running with little Ginny trailing behind.

She ushered, "Come Juliet," her wand still drawn as if on the defensive. This didn't go unnoticed by Juliet, she was training herself to always observe others to get a feel for how their very natures are.

"Hey little snake, nice of you to join us," the twins coursed at once, their sentences intertwining. But Cassiopeia wasn't looking at the twins as they hugged her niece but it was the muscular Weasley with long red hair tied back with a leather tong, her eyes piercing his very soul.

Juliet smiled, "Hey boys," her voice broke her Aunt from her thoughts.

"Good afternoon boys," her smile was welcoming as they started walking back down the hill as Charlie walked next to Juliet, he looked to Cassiopeia but it was a wary look.

"Hello dear, so very glad you could make it. We simply love having another girl around," Molly Weasley loved children, loved with all her heart even though she was a tough bird.

She gushed, "Seb and I, appreciate you having Juliet for the rest of the Hols, Molly. Give her some down time from her training and all," Molly gave Cassiopeia a nod with a stern smile as if something was passed between them as all the kids looked between them.

But the twins were quick to grab Juliet's attention back to them "Hey Jay, have you heard from Potter cause Ron sure hasn't," they heard a low hiss as her face contorted before she controlled it.

"No but I am sure those Muggles have something to do with it. Now the question is how do we go about fixing it?"

After Cassiopeia left and Molly went inside to cook supper it left the twins, Ron, Ginny and Juliet outside to talk alone. "Well it's settled tonight we go," Fred smiled as Ginny huffed in aggravation with her lack of involvement, but we had a backup plan and she was it, Charlie was watching from the door the entire time.

Juliet worried, "What is going on with, Charlie?" her tone was guarded Juliet was looking over her shoulder, but the twins knew she was talking to them.

Fred says, "All we know is your Aunt came over and spoke to him and mum a week ago," as Ron snorted.

Ron spoke, "He has been in a right foul mood ever since," Juliet turned her eyes they're as welcoming as ice spiders as Ron jumped to his feet.

"DINNER TIME, COME ON KIDS," was called out by Molly, her voice echoed making them all clamor to their feet.

"Luna will meet us on the train, Jay," Ginny mumbled as the girls walked pasted Ron who just chuckled, he was slowly getting better not as annoying.

"Hello there Juliet, glad to have you," Author smiled down into her blue eyes with such a soft look on his already kind face.

She gave a radiant smile, "Thank you Mr. Weasley, it's always a pleasure being here," her voice charming but honest. Juliet sat in between Fred and George with Ron next to Fred and Ginny next to George with Charlie next to Gin, his eyes roaming over to Juliet, every few minutes.

Everyone listened as Mr. Weasley talked about the raids how they had been increasing and some pretty dark things had been found, Ginny and Juliet's eyes met before Juliet looked up at Fred who gave a faint nod of his head. Juliet was more playing with her potted roast and potatoes moving it along the plate her mind else were, when Molly's voice cut in like a knife. "Young lady you need to eat," Juliet's eyes snapped up looking into the stern brown eyes of Molly.

"I am," she smiled her sweetest smile taking a small bite her stomach protesting it the whole time, feeling her stomach roll with her uneasiness.

She smiled back, "Good girl, I'll just go fetch desert," she smiled hurrying from the table as Juliet looked for an easy escape her eyes fell on Ron who was still eating but nearly done, Arthur was chatting with Charlie. Reaching over as fast as she could switching plates with him, the look on his face was priceless and confused until he saw hers than just shrugged it off and went back to eating as if nothing happened. Taking her seat she cleaned up his plate sitting like nothing happened when Mrs. Weasley walked back in with small dishes of chocolate pudding.

Once everyone had a pudding set in front of them with fresh whipped cream, Juliet still couldn't muster eating the feeling of dread, that something had gone wrong was nagging at her. As soon as Molly was out of sight she slid her pudding to Ron who was more than happy to eat it, as she stood walking "Molly, care for some help washing or anything," Molly turned looking at the child in her kitchen.

She answered, "That is very sweet of you Juliet, but you go have some girl time with Ginny. I bet you miss Hermione, no worries three days dear then she will be here too," it was true she did miss her sister something fierce they both hated being away from each other, for years they couldn't be away only this last couple could they take different holidays but maybe for a week maybe two.

It was getting late near nine the elder Weasleys would turn in soon, Fred, George are in corner talking in low whispers as Ron and Charlie are playing a game of Wizards Chess as Ginny and I discuss how things will run at our return to Hogwarts, in a low tone in another corner. "I will do as you instructed, but as you asked I will wait until the meeting to pledge," Ginny said her wine colored hair was different then that of her brothers, her eyes a warm chocolate brown with freckles running across the bridge of her nose.

I say, "We have Lovegood along with Greengrass this year as well," as she gave me a firm nod, then another telling me to look behind me, Charlie was crossing the room in our direction. The older much older boy was my first crush, still was I remember the way his lips felt on mine, the way my heart felt when he told me he really cared for me. And by the look in his eyes he was going to say something to make me very angry, and that was never a wise move to anyone.

Charlie spoke running his fingers thought his hair, "Aye," was all he muttered his long red hair around his shoulders as Juliet stood.

I scoffed, "Hello Charlie, seeing as I have been here all day and you have acted as if I have not. I assume you want to have a little chat, let us go outside," he gave a nod as I turned giving the twins a nod that I would make it fast because we had plans, Ginny and Ron stood watching from the window as Charlie shut the door behind us.

"The night is not getting any younger say what you have to say, Charlie," Juliet snapped out her hand shaking, using her breathing to try and remain calm and focused. He was watching her yet his eyes were soft she needed to know what has caused this rift in their friendship, he was withdrawn from her all day this a very abnormal issue.

He spoke, "Your Aunt came to have a talk with mum and myself it was odd sitting there with them talking about everything in the end. I can't come to Hogwarts to see you anymore, I am too old for you and I guess they are right Jay, I am eight years older than you. I care about you so much, so much more than you know but again you are twelve years old, bloody hell, I am in my twenties. It has nothing to do with me as a person just my age, if I wasn't so much older or the fact you're twelve. I am just so angry they feel as if they can dictate how I can feel, what I should do," he was angry the tips of his ears blood red.

Juliet just stood watching her head tilted to the left looking at him with murder clear in her eyes, flashing to red in her anger. "Fine Charlie, listen to them it makes no difference to me. But if these feeling's you say you truly have for me were real, this conversation, would have been very different. Because age is nothing but feelings are real, that's is always how I felt about you, your age meant nothing because how I feel was real. So unless you come to your bloody sense's stay away or I will hex your balls off," she spun so fast her hair hitting him in the face, she stormed off but once she returned Author was on his way out as a raid was called in Molly was fussing over him as Charlie walked in behind her, Juliet was with his four siblings who all gave him dirty looks.

Now she was going to make herself heard," "I am just going to say this now, no one has a right to make a decision for Charlie or myself. You all look at our age, not the feelings we shared for each other. Nothing would have happened until we were older, till I was older now you all including my Aunt have ruined any chance of that," her eyes flashed red in her anger.

As the twins chimed in "Told you, you had no right," their words intertwined, everything about them would seem that way. But they had a vast number of differences. Molly and Arthur looked red in the ears, as their children walked back resuming their actives.

Ginny waited until she saw Charlie close his door for Jay to head out the window the floors creaked way too much, Juliet prayed to Merlin she didn't break her leg doing this as she clamored down the pipe to the three boys below her. She saw Charlie's light on as he moved around in his room, he shouldn't be here he has work in the morning, in Romania. Her eyes landed on him he was removing his tee she was young but not dumb, he had a very nice one.

Tearing her eyes away as she finished down the pole, with this they took off into the night, it wasn't too bad a drive as they pulled into Little Whining, in Surrey, it wasn't hard to locate number four private drive either bars on the bloody windows. Only Muggles could come up with devices as such, barbaric.

Ron peered out tapping on the glass, his hand snaking through the bars.

"Ron." breathed Harry, creeping to the window and pushing it up so they could talk through the bars.

"Ron, how did you - What the -?"

Harry's mouth fell open as the full impact of what he was seeing hit him. Ron was leaning out of the back window of an old turquoise car, which was parked in midair Grinning at Harry from the front seats were Fred and George, Ron's elder twin brothers in the back was Juliet Black smiling causing him to go weak. 

"All right, Harry?" asked George.

"What's been going on?" said Ron. "Why haven't you been answering my letters? I've asked you to stay about twelve times, and then Dad came home and said you'd got an official warning for using magic in front of Muggles -"

"It wasn't me - and how did he know?"

"He works for the Ministry," said Ron. "You know we're not supposed to do spells outside school -"

"You should talk," said Harry, staring at the floating car.

"Oh, this doesn't count," said Ron. "We're only borrowing this. It's Dad's, we didn't enchant it. But doing magic in front of those Muggles you live with -"

"I told you, I didn't - but it'll take too long to explain now look, can you tell them at Hogwarts that the Dursleys have locked me up and won't let me come back, and obviously, I can't magic myself out, because the Ministry'll think that's the second spell I've done in three days, so -"

"Stop gibbering," said Ron. "We've come to take you home with us."

"But you can't magic me out either -"

"We don't need to," said Ron, jerking his head toward the front seat and grinning. "You forget who I've got with me."

"Tie that around the bars," said Fred, throwing the end of a rope to Harry.

"If the Dursleys wake up, I'm dead," said Harry as he tied the rope tightly around a bar and Fred revved up the car.

"Don't worry," said Fred, "and stand back."

"Boy's lets hurry we don't have all night, we have a time frame to get back to the Burrow," Juliet cut in their faces paled.

Harry moved back into the shadows next to Hedwig, who seemed to have realized how important this was and kept still and silent. The car revved louder and louder and suddenly, with a crunching noise, the bars were pulled clean out of the window as Fred drove straight up in the air. Harry ran back to the window to see the bars dangling a few feet above the ground. Panting, Ron hoisted them up into the car. Harry listened anxiously, but there was no sound from the Dursleys' bedroom.

When the bars were safely in the back seat with Ron, Fred reversed as close as possible to Harry's window.

"Get in," Ron said as Juliet swung herself from the car to the roof popping the trunk for Harry's things.

"But all my Hogwarts stuff - my wand - my broomstick -"

"Where is it?"

"Locked in the cupboard under the stairs, and I can't get out of this room -"

"No problem," said George from the front passenger seat. "Out of the way, Harry."

Fred and George climbed catlike through the window into Harry's room. You had to hand it to them, thought Harry, as George took an ordinary hairpin from his pocket and started to pick the lock.

"A lot of wizards think it's a waste of time, knowing this sort of Muggle trick," said Fred, "but we feel they're skills worth learning, even if they are a bit slow."

There was a small click and the door swung open.

"So - we'll get your trunk - you grab anything you need from your room and hand it out to Ron," whispered George.

"Watch out for the bottom stair - it creaks," Harry whispered back as the twins disappeared onto the dark landing.

Harry dashed around his room, collecting his things and passing them out of the window to Ron, who gave them to Jay. Then he went to help Fred and George heave his trunk up the stairs. Harry heard Uncle Vernon cough.

At last, panting, they reached the landing, then carried the trunk through Harry's room to the open window. Fred climbed back into the car to pull with Ron, and Harry and George pushed from the bedroom side. Inch by inch, the trunk slid through the window.

Uncle Vernon coughed again, never heard a whale cough, downright scary.

"A bit more," panted Fred, who was pulling from inside the car. "One good push -"

Harry and George threw their shoulders against the trunk and it slid out of the window into the back seat of the car.

"Okay, let's go," George whispered as Juliet was on the roof waiting for Harry to get back in so she could.

But as Harry climbed onto the windowsill there came a sudden loud screech from behind him, followed immediately by the thunder of Uncle Vernon's voice.

"THAT RUDDY OWL!"

"I've forgotten Hedwig!"

"Bloody hell, how could you forget Hedwig you tosser?" Juliet cried out, her face contorted with raw emotions.

Harry tore back across the room as the landing light clicked on - he snatched up Hedwig's cage, dashed to the window, and passed it out to Ron. He was scrambling back onto the chest of drawers when Uncle Vernon hammered on the unlocked door and it crashed open.

For a split second, Uncle Vernon stood framed in the doorway; then he let out a bellow like an angry bull and dived at Harry, grabbing him by the ankle.

Ron, Fred, and George seized Harry's arms and pulled as hard as they could but in all this the car rolled to the right and Juliet fell, Harry grasped her hand as tight as he could with Vernon grabbing him as well.

"Petunia!" roared Uncle Vernon. "He's getting away! HE'S GETTING AWAY!"

But the Weasleys gave a gigantic tug and Harry's leg slid out of Uncle Vernon's grasp - Harry tugged with Ron than Juliet was in the car "You're both lucky you didn't drop me," she breathed her small face red, her breathing labored.

"Put your foot down, Fred!" yelled Ron, and the car shot suddenly toward the moon.

Harry couldn't believe it - he was free. He rolled down the window, the night air whipping his hair, and looked back at the shrinking rooftops of Privet Drive. Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley were all hanging, dumbstruck, out of Harry's window.

"See you next summer!" Harry yelled.

The Weasleys and Juliet's bell like laughter roared and Harry settled back in his seat, grinning from ear to ear.

"Let Hedwig out," he told Ron. "She can fly behind us. She hasn't had a chance to stretch her wings for ages."

George handed the hairpin to Ron and, a moment later, Hedwig soared joyfully out of the window to glide alongside them like a ghost.

"So - what's the story, Harry?" said Ron impatiently. "What's been happening?"

Harry told them all about Dobby, the warning he'd given Harry and the fiasco of the violet pudding. There was a long, shocked silence when he had finished.

"Very fishy," said Fred finally.

"Definitely dodgy" agreed George. "So he wouldn't even tell you who's supposed to be plotting all this stuff?"

"I don't think he could," said Harry. "I told you, every time he got close to letting something slip, he started banging his head against the wall."

He saw Fred and George look at each other than at Juliet who was very silent, looking out the window her eyes cold.

"What, you think he was lying to me?" said Harry.

"Well," said Fred, "put it this way - house-elves have got powerful magic of their own, but they can't usually use it without their master's permission. I reckon old Dobby was sent to stop you coming back to Hogwarts. Someone's idea of a joke. Can you think of anyone at school with a grudge against you?"

"Yes," said Harry and Ron together, instantly.

"Draco Malfoy," Harry explained. "He hates me."

"Draco Malfoy?" said George, turning around. "Not Lucius Malfoy's son?"

"Must be, it's not a very common name, is it?" said Harry.

"I've heard Dad talking about him," said George. "He was a big supporter of You-Know-Who."

"And when You-Know-Who disappeared," said Fred, craning around to look at Harry, "Lucius Malfoy came back saying he'd never meant any of it. Load of dung - Dad reckons he was right in You- Know-Who's inner circle."

Harry had heard these rumors about Malfoy's family before, and they didn't surprise him at all. Malfoy made Dudley Dursley look like a kind, thoughtful, and sensitive boy.

"I don't know whether the Malfoys own a house-elf said Harry.

"Well, whoever owns him will be an old wizarding family, and they'll be rich," said Fred.

"Yeah, Mum's always wishing we had a house-elf to do the ironing," said George. "But all we've got is a lousy old ghoul in the attic and gnomes all over the garden. House-elves come with big old manors and castles and places like that; you wouldn't catch one in our house . . . ."

Harry was silent. Judging by the fact that Draco Malfoy usually had the best of everything, his family was rolling in wizard gold; he could just see Malfoy strutting around a large manor house. Sending the family servant to stop Harry from going back to Hogwarts also sounded exactly like the sort of thing Malfoy rsde]i9u

"I'm glad we came to get you, anyway," said Ron. "I was getting really worried when you didn't answer any of my letters. I thought it was Errol's fault at first.

"Who's Errol?"

"Our owl. He's ancient. It wouldn't be the first time he'd collapsed on a delivery. So then I tried to borrow Hermes -"

"Who?"

"The owl Mum and Dad bought Percy when he was made prefect," said Fred from the front.

"But Percy wouldn't lend him to me," said Ron. "Said he needed him."

"Percy's been acting very oddly this summer," said George, frowning. "And he has been sending a lot of letters and spending a load of time shut up in his room ... I mean, there's only so many times you can polish a prefect badge... You're driving too far west, Fred," he added, pointing at a compass on the dashboard. Fred twiddled the steering wheel.

"But when my owl didn't get a response I knew something was wrong, my owl is rather talented and mean," Jay spoke for the first time in over an hour.

"Pecked my hand it did Harry," Ron said showing Harry a scar on his right hand.

She muttered "Answer faster,"

"So, does your dad know you've got the car?" said Harry, guessing the answer his eyes glues to the solemn looking girl next to him, her face pale, with deep black bags under her eyes.

"Er, no," said Ron, "he had to work tonight. Hopefully we'll be able to get it back in the garage without Mum noticing we flew it."

"What does your dad do at the Ministry of Magic, anyway?"

"He works in the most boring department," said Ron. "The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."

"The what?"

"It's all to do with bewitching things that are Muggle-made, you know, in case they end up back in a Muggle shop or house. Like, last year, some old witch died and her tea set was sold to an antiques shop. This Muggle woman bought it, took it home, and tried to serve her friends tea in it. It was a nightmare - Dad was working overtime for weeks."

"What happened?"

"The teapot went berserk and squirted boiling tea all over the place and one man ended up in the hospital with the sugar tongs clamped to his nose. Dad was going frantic - it's only him and an old warlock called Perkins in the office -and they had to do Memory Charms and all sorts of stuff to cover it up -"

"But your dad - this car -"

Fred laughed. "Yeah, Dad's crazy about everything to do with Muggles; our shed's full of Muggle stuff. He takes it apart, puts spells on it, and puts it back together again. If he raided our house he'd have to put himself under arrest. It drives Mum mad."

"That's the main road," said George, peering down through the windshield. "We'll be there in ten minutes ... Just as well, it's getting light . . . ."

A faint pinkish glow was visible along the horizon to the east.

Fred brought the car lower, and Harry saw a dark patchwork of fields and clumps of trees.

"We're a little way outside the village," said George. "Ottery St. Catchpole."

Lower and lower went the flying car. The edge of a brilliant red sun was now gleaming through the trees.

"Touchdown!" said Fred as, with a slight bump, they hit the ground. They had landed next to a tumbledown garage in a small yard, and Harry looked out for the first time at Ron's house.

It looked as though it had once been a large stone pigpen, but extra rooms had been added here and there until it was several stories high and so crooked it looked as though it were held up by magic (which, Harry reminded himself, it probably was). Four or five chimneys were perched on top of the red roof. A lopsided sign stuck in the ground near the entrance read, the Burrow. Around the front door lay a jumble of rubber boots and a very rusty cauldron. Several fat brown chickens were pecking their way around the yard.

"It's not much," said Ron.

"It's wonderful," said Harry happily, thinking of Privet Drive.

Juliet chimed in, "It truly is Potter, I love my home, I love Hogwarts and I love the Burrow," Juliet gave him a faint smile as they got out of the car.

"Now, we'll go upstairs really quietly," said Fred, "and wait for Mum to call us for breakfast then, Ron, you come bounding downstairs going, `Mum, look who turned up in the night!' and she'll be all pleased to see Harry and no one need ever know we flew the car,"

Juliet smirked, "I am going back up the way I snuck out last night boys, see you in a few minutes," as the four boys watched her as she climbed up the pipes going up the burrow until she reached the third maybe fourth story, where the window was open it must have taken a lot of upper arm strength to do that, Harry thought in awe.

Ginny was up waiting "You look horrible Juliet, at least change mum is up already no way they aren't in trouble," I sighed brushing my hair pulling it into a braid, it couldn't be tamed today, a pair of torn jeans and a gray jumper with Vans before we walked out together.

Charlie was waiting with a stern look on his face, "Go downstairs, Ginny. Before I tell mum that you were involved in this."

Juliet snarled low, "Don't threaten her" she wasn't aware how siblings of the opposite sex acted in an over protective and crude way at times.

"It is fine Jay," Gin said calmly he was still her older brother. She walked downstairs with Juliet trying to follow her but a muscled arm blocked her path.

"What were you thinking? Were you thinking? You could have been hurt Jay," his voice was deep, full of love and pain it was crushing to the young girl since he listened to everyone but himself.

She scoffed, "What I do is not your concern Charlie, I went and got my friend along with my other friends. Now if that is all I hear your mother's delicate tones, and I can't let them take all the blame," but Charlie wasn't about to let her go as he grabbed her dragging her to his room locking it behind them.

He seethed, "No, she will flip. You were brought here because your Aunt was attacked by a Death eater she had to see a healer in France, Hermione should be here today for her safety. As far as I know your Aunt is doing much better but you're safer here, as why if Mum finds out you were gone she will kill them and maybe you," Juliet backed away her eyes wide as the door burst open and she flew down the stairs tears falling.

"MOLLY," was the only word she uttered as the older witch saw the younger one in such a state.

"Juliet, what's wrong? What happened?"

George asked, "What the hell?"

Fred finished, "Jay what's wrong Snakelet,"

"Juliet bird," questions came from every direction as Molly held Juliet in her arms, embracing the girl.

"My Aunt, why didn't anyone tell me a Death eater attacked her," everything went dead silent, nothing made a single noise.

Molly scolded, "Charlie, why would you tell her? Juliet your Aunt didn't want you to worry she wanted you to have a few days of fun here with us, Hermione is being brought here because it is far too dangerous right now. You don't look like you slept at all dear, let us all just have a bite to eat you'll feel much better once Hermione gets here, Juliet dear," Molly said giving her one last bone crushing hug before starting to put more food on the table. Charlie sat next to Juliet as Fred cursed him, George and Ron doing the same as Ginny sat next to her, Harry across from her.

Before anyone took their first bite the door burst open and all anyone saw was a bushy brown haired missile.

 **This is where the first chapter ends, so how did you all like it? Review….**


	2. Bodyguard

It was the morning everyone headed for Diagon Alley than after Charlie was leaving for Romania to be with his Dragons, him and Juliet not speaking but not for his lack of trying. There was an upside to her being brought up in the manor of pureblood royalty than the down side she feels not every decision will be for others to make. Juliet was sitting in the tattered arm chair waiting as the mass chaos was happening upstairs as everyone rushed to ready themselves for the shopping trip. She was dressed in boots a pair of jeans and sweater her hair a curly mess but tamed enough, Charlie was watching her as she read.

"Well at least two of you are ready, Charlie dear let give you a haircut," Molly's voice chimed in making Juliet look up from her thick book her eyes moving between the two. "No mom," his voice deeper than any other Weasley boys, maybe the twins came in second. Her eyes raked over Charlie his torn muggle jeans his muscles showing his shirt clung to his body, his hair hanging down his dragon tooth earing visible.

"But Charlie,"

"Mom the girl he loves likes his long hair," Fred smirked walking into the room as Juliet snarled, George opened his mouth "Right Juliet," he wasn't fast enough as her book sailed across the room hitting him in his bits, his face was red as he crumpled to his knees, Fred was by his side in a second than Hermione whose face was blood red, damn their bond.

Charlie was laughing as Juliet stormed from the small living room in a huff, nearly knocking Ron and Harry down. "I guess my brothers messed with you," Ginny smiled as she stood next to her best friends.

"Guessed right," Juliet muttered as Hermione smiled as well not at all angry with her sister. Harry and the boys off to the side the twins behind us girls with Charlie behind Juliet.

"We're running low, Arthur," she sighed. "We'll have to buy some more today... Ah well, guests first! After you, Harry dear!"

And she offered him the flowerpot.

Harry stared at them all watching him.

"W-what am I supposed to do?" he stammered.

"He's never traveled by Floo powder," said Ron suddenly. "Sorry, Harry, I forgot."

"Never?" said Mr. Weasley. "But how did you get to Diagon Alley to buy your school things last year?"

"I went on the Underground -"

"Really?" said Mr. Weasley eagerly. "Were there escalators? How exactly -"

"Not now, Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley. "Floo powder's a lot quicker, dear, but goodness me, if you've never used it before -"

"He'll be all right, Mum," said Fred. "Harry, watch us first."

He took a pinch of glittering powder out of the flowerpot, stepped up to the fire, and threw the powder into the flames.

With a roar, the fire turned emerald green and rose higher than Fred, who stepped right into it, shouted, "Diagon Alley!" and vanished.

"You must speak clearly, dear," Mrs. Weasley told Harry as George dipped his hand into the flowerpot. "And be sure to get out at the right grate ...

"The right what?" said Harry nervously as the fire roared and whipped George out of sight, too.

"Well, there are an awful lot of wizard fires to choose from, you know, but as long as you've spoken clearly -"

"He'll be fine, Molly, don't fuss," said Mr. Weasley, helping himself to Floo powder, too.

"But, dear, if he got lost, how would we ever explain to his aunt and uncle?"

"They wouldn't mind," Harry reassured her. "Dudley would think it was a brilliant joke if I got lost up a chimney, don't worry about that -"

"Well ... all right ... you go after Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley. "Now, when you get into the fire, say where you're going

"And keep your elbows tucked in," Ron advised.

"And your eyes shut," said Mrs. Weasley. "The soot -"

"Don't fidget," said Ron. "Or you might well fall out of the wrong fireplace -"

"Don't vomit, Potter," the girls smiled at him he already looked rather pale.

"But don't panic and get out too early; wait until you see Fred and George."

Trying hard to bear all this in mind, Harry took a pinch of Floo powder and walked to the edge of the fire. He took a deep breath, scattered the powder into the flames, and stepped forward; the fire felt like a warm breeze; he opened his mouth and immediately swallowed a lot of hot ash.

"D-Dia-gon Alley," he coughed.

"Molly, I don't think he is going to end up in the right grate," Juliet said as Molly could only agree with the little Slytherin as they each took their turn, stepping out with Charlie the very last to come through, Gringotts would have to wait until they found Potter who as they knew didn't come out at the Leaky Cauldron.

"Alright boys you go down this way, Charlie and you girls go that way," Juliet was gone with a nod to Mione, she slipped through the crowed heading towards Knockturn Alley where she was sure Potter shot out. It wasn't crowed but the few that were here are very dangerous as she stayed close to the wall her wand out ready to curse the first person who came to close to her, but moments later Potter rushed out of Borgins.

"Potter what the bloody hell," she grimaced as a witch took notice of the two younger ones "Are you lost dearies,"

Juliet smiled, "Bugger off hag unless you want me to use this, believe me I am more than capable. I am Lady Black. I know curses that you can't comprehend," her voice calm as the witch took a step back.

But even more when a voice boomed "HARRY!JULIET! YOU TWO" it was Hagrid as they rushed to him as he carried to massive jugs of something foul smelling.

"I was lost - what were you doing down there, anyway?" Harry stuttered.

"I was lookin' fer a Flesh-Eatin' Slug Repellent," growled Hagrid. "They're ruinin' the school cabbages. Yer not on yer own?"

"We're staying with the Weasleys but we got separated," Harry explained. "I've got to go and find them . . . ."

They set off together down the street.

"How come yeh never wrote back ter me?" said Hagrid as Harry jogged alongside him, Juliet was just walking like it was nothing (he had to take three steps to every stride of Hagrid's enormous boots). Harry explained all about Dobby and the Dursleys.

"Lousy Muggles," growled Hagrid. "If I'd've known -"

"Harry! Jay! Over here!"

Harry looked up seeing Hermione and Ginny standing at the top of the white flight of steps to Gringotts. She ran down to meet them, her bushy brown hair flying behind her, Charlie was walking pasted him heading for Jay.

"We will be talking later," was all that was heard as she walked off heading into the large Wizarding Bank as if Charlie hadn't spoken a word to her. The polished white marble with the long counter tops Juliet walked to a nasty looking Goblin her head held high, like it was nothing they watched her walking away with him.

"Lady Black, we will do as you requested. Now if you will come along with me," Longshanks grimaced leading her down a long corridor.

The young Lady Black walked away with the eyes of the two boys on her, along with two girls but for different reasons all together "It will be fine Hermione, she said she had something to take care of,"

"I know, it's just we have been far away from each other," but she felt calm flow through their bond as two deep voices were also heard "Mia, it will be fine little bird," "No worries love," Ginny was well aware of their soul bond.

The vaults were reached by means of small, goblin-driven carts that sped along miniature train tracks through the bank's underground tunnels. Harry enjoyed the breakneck journey down to the Weasleys vault, once it opened Mrs. Weasley was talking in hurried tones to the Goblin "This must be a mistake,"

"We Goblins don't make mistakes, Madam. A transfer was made moments before into your account." Griphook said in a curt tone as Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione all looked over a few large piles of Gold Gallons and Silver sickles.

"Bloody hell Juliet," was all Ron muttered.

"Ronald," Hermione muttered.

"Don't act like she isn't behind this, Hermione," he said not in anger but awe.

"I wasn't, I am reprimanding your language," was all she said as Ginny smirked. Harry felt even better when they reached his vault now he could buy Jay something nice to get her away from the older boy.

Back outside on the marble steps, they all separated. Percy muttered vaguely about needing a new quill. Fred and George had spotted their friend from Hogwarts, Lee Jordan. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were going to a robe shop. Mr. Weasley was insisting on talking to Juliet who hadn't returned yet.

"We'll all meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour to buy your schoolbooks," said Mrs. Weasley, setting off with Ginny. "And not one step down Knockturn Alley!" she shouted at the twins' retreating backs, who turned giving lavish winks at Hermione who blushed.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat on the steps Hermione refused to leave without Juliet and Charlie refused to let her as well "Thank you for waiting, sorry I had taken so long," they all turned at her voice it was chilled but in control.

She finished, "Come along we need to hurry, don't want to be out in the open for longer than we need," as Charlie fully agreed with her. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Juliet and Charlie strolled off along the winding, cobbled street. Charlie was happy to be with Juliet so he bought four large strawberry-and-peanut-butter ice creams, which they slurped happily as they wandered up the alley, examining the fascinating shop windows. Ron gazed longingly at a full set of Chudley Cannon robes in the windows of Quality Quidditch Supplies until Hermione dragged them off to buy ink and parchment next door.

In Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, they met Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, who were stocking up on Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks, and in a tiny junk shop full of broken wands, lopsided brass scales, and old cloaks covered in potion stains they found Percy, deeply immersed in a small and deeply boring book called Prefects Who Gained Power. `A study of Hogwarts prefects and their later careers, "Ron read aloud off the back cover. "That sounds fascinating . . . ."

"Go away," Percy snapped. "'Course, he's very ambitious, Percy, he's got it all planned out ... He wants to be Minister of Magic. . . "Ron told Harry and Hermione in an undertone as they left Percy to it. An hour later, they headed for Flourish and Blotts. They were by no means the only ones making their way to the bookshop. As they approached it, they saw to their surprise a large crowd jostling outside the doors, trying to get in. The reason for this was proclaimed by a large banner stretched across the upper windows:

GILDEROY LOCKHART will be signing copies of his autobiography MAGICAL ME today 12:30 P.m. to 4:30 P.m.

The crowd seemed to be made up mostly of witches around Mrs. Weasley's age. A harassed-looking wizard stood at the door, saying, "Calmly, please, ladies ... Don't push, there ... mind the books, now . . . . "

Harry, Ron, and Hermione squeezed inside Charlie with his size was intimidating so Juliet was given a wide birth.

A long line wound right to the back of the shop, where Gilderoy Lockhart was signing his books. They each grabbed a copy of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 and sneaked up the line to where the rest of the Weasleys.

"Oh, there you are, good," said Mrs. Weasley. She sounded breathless and kept patting her hair. "We'll be able to see him in a minute ...

Gilderoy Lockhart came slowly into view, seated at a table surrounded by large pictures of his own face, all winking and flashing dazzlingly white teeth at the crowd. The real Lockhart was wearing robes of forget-me-not blue that exactly matched his eyes; his pointed wizard's hat was set at a jaunty angle on his wavy hair.

A short, irritable-looking man was dancing around taking photographs with a large black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every blinding flash.

"Out of the way, there," he snarled at Ron, moving back to get a better shot. "This is for the Daily Prophet -"

"Big deal," said Ron, rubbing his foot where the photographer had stepped on it.

Gilderoy Lockhart heard him. He looked up. He saw Ron and then he saw Harry and Juliet chatting away he stared. Then he leapt to his feet and positively shouted, "It can't be Harry Potter and Lady Juliet Black together?"

The crowd parted, whispering excitedly; Lockhart dived forward, seized Harry's arm as Juliet moved with grace to the side avoiding his grasp as Charlie stood blocking him "Don't try to touch my girl again,"

Harry's face burned in anger, but to others it would simply be embarrassment as Lockhart shook his hand for the photographer, who was clicking away madly, wafting thick smoke over the Weasleys.

"Nice big smile, Harry," said Lockhart, through his own gleaming teeth. "Together, you and I are worth the front page. Better if Lady Black wasn't so stubborn,"

When he finally let go of Harry's hand, Harry could hardly feel his fingers. He tried to sidle back over to the Weasleys, but Lockhart threw an arm around his shoulders and clamped him tightly to his side.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said loudly, waving for quiet. "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time!

"When young Harry here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, he only wanted to buy my autobiography -which I shall be happy to present him now, free of charge-" The crowd applauded again. "He had no idea," Lockhart continued, giving Harry a little shake that made his glasses slip to the end of his nose, "that he would shortly be getting much, much more than my book, Magical Me. He and his schoolmates will, in fact, be getting the real magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September, I will be taking up the post of Defense against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

The crowd cheered and clapped and Harry found himself being presented with the entire works of Gilderoy Lockhart. Staggering slightly under their weight, he managed to make his way out of the limelight to the edge of the room, where Ginny was standing next to her new cauldron.

"You have these," Harry mumbled to her, tipping the books into the cauldron. "I'll buy my own -"

"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" said a voice Harry had no trouble recognizing. He straightened up and found himself face-to-face with Draco Malfoy, who was wearing his usual sneer.

"Famous Harry Potter," said Malfoy. "Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page."

Juliet chimed, "Draco, enough. Or didn't you notice he was also trying to drag me up there as well, at least I had a body guard," in a chilled tone as her blond friend cooled his heels.

We noticed Arthur was walking over

"Well, well, well - Arthur Weasley."

It was Lord Malfoy. He stood with his hand on Draco's shoulder, sneering in just the same way.

"Lucius," said Mr. Weasley, nodding coldly.

"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," said Mr. Malfoy. "All those raids ... I hope they're paying you overtime?"

He reached into Ginny's cauldron and extracted, from amid the glossy Lockhart books, a very old, very battered copy of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration.

"Obviously not," Mr. Malfoy said. "Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"

Mr. Weasley flushed darker than either Ron or Ginny.

"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," he said.

"Lady Black, I disarray you shouldn't keep such company. Your Uncle and Aunt have sunk pretty low,"

There was a thud of metal as Ginny's cauldron went flying; Mr. Weasley had thrown himself at Mr. Malfoy, knocking him backward into a bookshelf. Dozens of heavy spellbooks came thundering down on all their heads; there was a yell of, "Get him, Dad!" from Fred or George; Mrs. Weasley was shrieking, "No, Arthur, no!" the crowd stampeded backward, knocking more shelves over; "Gentlemen, please - please!" cried the assistant, and then, louder than all.

"Yay, Mr. Weasley, going all Muggle on him," Juliet was cheering loudly with Hermione her laughter like a thunderous bell, her arms over her belly from laughing.

"Break it up, there, gents, break it up -"

Hagrid was wading toward them through the sea of books. In an instant he had pulled Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy apart. Mr. Weasley had a cut lip and Mr. Malfoy had been hit in the eye by an Encyclopedia of Toadstools. He was still holding Ginny's old Transfiguration book. He thrust it at her, his eyes glittering with malice.

"Here, girl - take your book - it's the best your father can give you -" Pulling himself out of Hagrid's grip he beckoned to Draco and swept from the shop.

"Yeh should've ignored him, Arthur," said Hagrid, almost lifting Mr. Weasley off his feet as he straightened his robes. "Rotten ter the core, the whole family, everyone knows that - no Malfoy's worth listenin' ter - bad blood, that's what it is - come on now - let's get outta here."

"A fine example to set for your children . . . brawling in public . . . what Gilderoy Lockhart must've thought -"

"He was pleased," said Fred. "Didn't you hear him as we were leaving? He was asking that bloke from the Daily Prophet if he'd be able to work the fight into his report - said it was all publicity -"

But it was a subdued group that headed back to the fireside in the Leaky Cauldron, where Harry, the Weasleys, and all their shopping would be traveling back to the Burrow using Floo powder.

Harry took off his glasses and put them safely in his pocket before helping himself to Floo powder. It definitely wasn't his favorite way to travel.

Later that night found Juliet watching from Ginny's window with tears streaming down her face as Charlie walked from the Burrow heading to the hill top, back to his Dragons. He stopped giving her a heartfelt look seeing her tears clear as day, blowing her a kiss before his father ushered him, then he was gone.

"It's rotten luck Jay, but it makes no difference he cares for you and you him," Mione hugged Juliet, Ginny added her own brand of a Molly hug into the mix.

 **Hey so, I am back. I am 100% going to finish all eight books. Plus my Skyhigh and Divergent ones to lol. Please review…**


	3. Not impressed with your ass

**A/N: As know I make no money you from writing and own only new ideas and characters. I just had a series of surgeries so my posting will be a bit iffy for a few days but don't worry it won't be too bad.**

On their last evening Mrs. Weasley conjured up a sumptuous dinner that included all of the kid's favorite things and ended with a mouthwatering treacle pudding. Fred and George rounded off the evening with a play of Filibuster fireworks; they filed into the kitchen, red and blue bounced from ceiling to wall for at least half an hour. Then it was time for a last mug of hot chocolate and bed. The girls walked with the twins, Harry with Ron while Percy was sending his owl off with another letter.

"Good night boys," Juliet smiled, her bushy black curls tied back as she gave the twins and even Ron a small hug, she pulled Harry into an embrace "Night Potter," she whispered placing a small kiss to his cheek his face turning bright red.

"You too Juliet," his fingers lingering where she kissed him, Hermione was still hugging each twin before she turned hugging her two best male friends.

"Night boys," Ginny said without so much as a hug to any of them.

Once the door was shut the girls all went to sleep, knowing this year was going to be a trial. It took a long while to get started next morning. They were up at dawn, but somehow they still seemed to have a great deal to do. Juliet and Hermione were the only two packed, dressed, ready, and waiting downstairs waiting for the chaos to end.

Mrs. Weasley dashed about in a bad mood, looking for spare socks and quills; people kept colliding on the stairs, half-dressed with bits of toast in their hands; and Mr. Weasley nearly broke his neck, tripping over a stray chicken as he crossed the yard carrying Ginny's trunk to the car.

Harry couldn't see how ten people, twelve large trunks, three owls, one cat and a rat were going to fit into one small Ford Anglia. He had reckoned, of course, without the special features that Mr. Weasley had added. Juliet was dragging her trunk out when he rushed to help her "Thanks Potter," she smiled her bright eyes flashing as they made it to Mr. Weasley.

"Not a word to Molly," he whispered to them as he opened the trunk and showed them how it had been magically expanded so that the luggage fitted easily.

When at last they were all in the car, Mrs. Weasley glanced into the back seat, where Harry, Juliet Ron, Fred, Hermione, George, and Percy were all sitting comfortably side by side, and said, "Muggles do know more than we give them credit for, don't they?" She and Ginny got into the front seat, which had been stretched so that it resembled a park bench. "I mean, you'd never know it was this roomy from the outside, would you?"

Mr. Weasley started up the engine and they trundled out of the yard, Harry turning back for a last look at the house. He barely had time to wonder when he'd see it again when they were back George had forgotten his box of Filibuster fireworks. Five minutes after that, they skidded to a halt in the yard so that Fred could run in for his broomstick. They had almost reached the highway when Ginny shrieked that she'd left her diary. By the time she had clambered back into the car, they were running very late, and tempers were running high.

Mr. Weasley glanced at his watch and then at his wife.

"Molly, dear -"

"No, Arthur -"

"No one would see - this little button here is an Invisibility Booster I installed - that'd get us up in the air - then we fly above the clouds. We'd be there in ten minutes and no one would be any the wiser -"

"I said no, Arthur, not in broad daylight -"

They reached King's Cross at a quarter to eleven. Mr. Weasley dashed across the road to get trolleys for their trunks and they all hurried into the station.

They had caught the Hogwarts Express the previous year. The tricky part was getting onto platform nine and three-quarters, which wasn't visible to the Muggle eye. What you had to do was walk through the solid barrier dividing platforms nine and ten. It didn't hurt, but it had to be done carefully so that none of the Muggles noticed you vanishing.

"Percy first," said Mrs. Weasley, looking nervously at the clock overhead, which showed they had only five minutes to disappear casually through the barrier.

Percy strode briskly forward and vanished. Mr. Weasley went next; Fred and George followed.

"Come on Mione," Juliet ran with Hermione right behind her they vanished while the last two watched waiting their turn.

"I'll take Ginny and you two come right after us," Mrs. Weasley told Harry and Ron, grabbing Ginny's hand and setting off. In the blink of an eye they were gone.

 **Juliet's point of view…**

I felt odd magic on the barrier but I didn't have time to place it as Ginny and Molly rushed through, we rushed to the Hogwarts Express where Mr. Weasley was loading our trunks.

"Girls, are these things full of tomes," he smiled at us. This was why I had Ragnok take serve hundreds of Galleons from my vault and placed into theirs, a family that loved you no matter whom you were.

"Yes sir," we chime together, his face was red but he smiled all the same.

"Come along girls get on, I imagine the boys are on already," Molly said as Ginny, Hermione and I climbed on waving as the whistle blew loud and clear, the train picking up speed as the seconds passed until the station wasn't seen.

"Now come," I was off walking down the train corridor seeing Daphne waiting outside the compartment door her face impassive.

"Greengrass," I gave a curt nod, my aura, my personality changed like nothing, from carefree to stern and cold.

She nodded, "Lady Black," in a chilled tone as I walked in it was full to the brim, I noticed Luna was there, so was Astoria Greengrass, Pansy, Avery, Millie, Lavender, Padma, Pavarti, Neville, Cho, Hannah, and Susan as Ginny and Hermione sat with them. This was packed as some took seats on the floor, Neville stayed close to Hermione.

Juliet smiled, "Hello ladies and of course Neville, I hope your summer was pleasant. I thank you all for the information you sent me this summer, my Aunt was also attacked this summer and is in France seeing a healer. This year we train not only in every area of magic but muggle tactics, fighting will come in very handy. You will be at the Black lake at five every morning in running clothes we have to build endurance, mine as well. To the new girls, you don't have to join or pledge yourselves to me. In the future you will have to kill for the greater good, for starters the death eaters will do all in their power to kill you, kill anything you hold dear while you are only trying to stun, no I am aiming to take them out not down. I will be watching for what areas of magic you excel at, I want a world where people have the same rights as purebloods, my sister is looked down upon. Now new bloods, if you hear someone say that word you put a firm stop to it, you make the impression you're not to be messed with. I want us to be feared but also them to come to us, we stop bullies even in our own house. For any of you thinking the darkness is gone you are wrong because the death eaters are being more active as of the last few years, I have had personal experience with them, am I correct Pansy,"

"Unfortunatly," she shivered thinking of our detention together last year.

The three new girls looked at each other before getting on their knees pledging themselves, causing bright golden light to spread out from in waving most hands covering faces before it shattered the glass of the door frame.

I say, "Bloody hell, it just gets stronger the more we add," waving my wand the glass flying back into place once on this train we are in full right to use magic.

My sister's voice was low, "Because you are choosing the correct people, if you added one wrong person it wouldn't work," taking a book out as I gave her a thoughtful look, brilliant.

"Girls, show the new bloods the garden after they get shorted explain the rules to them. Understand you also need good grades in this regime, we don't accept failure," I said as they nodded time seemed to fly by as everyone talked about their summer in turn.

"So I guess my Aunt before she was attacked paid Charlie a visit telling him I was off limits. Well he was bloody well off his rocker for listening to her, well we got into it he left back to Romania and his Dragons," it hurt still missing him knowing I wasn't going to curl up with him to get a good night's sleep.

"I can't believe Auntie did such a thing," Mione was taken back.

Ginny added, "You don't know how bad Charlie took it, he was devastated."

"Oh I don't think it's the end, "Luna smiled in her serene way reading the Quibbler upside down.

"Of course you're right, Luna," Daphne smiled she was warmed up to Luna, Luna was a bit dreamy. Daphne had this chamomile and lavender scent, always making me tired.

"We better get our robes on," Millie was up as we changed I was now sitting in my Slytherin robes my wand in its holster. We could all feel the train slow before it was at a full stop, Fred and George opening the door helping each lady from the train before giving Hermione a hug.

"Heading over to Lee Jordan," then they disappeared.

Ginny, Luna and Astoria heading with Hagrid to the boats as we traveled another way by carriage pulled by thestrals.

 **Author point view…**

"Let's go together, we've only got a minute," Ron said to Harry.

Harry made sure that Hedwig's cage was safely wedged on top of his trunk and wheeled his trolley around to face the barrier. He felt perfectly confident; this wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as using Floo powder. Both of them bent low over the handles of their trolleys and walked purposefully toward the barrier, gathering speed. A few feet away from it, they broke into a run and CRASH.

Both trolleys hit the barrier and bounced backward; Ron's trunk fell off with a loud thump, Harry was knocked off his feet, and Hedwig's cage bounced onto the shiny floor, and she rolled away, shrieking indignantly; people all around them stared and a guard nearby yelled, "What in blazes d'you think you're doing?"

"Lost control of the trolley," Harry gasped, clutching his ribs as he got up. Ron ran to pick up Hedwig, who was causing such a scene that there was a lot of muttering about cruelty to animals from the surrounding crowd.

"Why can't we get through?" Harry hissed to Ron.

"I dunno -"

Ron looked wildly around. A dozen curious people were still watching them.

"We're going to miss the train," Ron whispered. "I don't understand why the gateways sealed itself -"

Harry looked up at the giant clock with a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. Ten seconds ... nine seconds...

He wheeled his trolley forward cautiously until it was right against the barrier and pushed with all his might. The metal remained solid.

Three seconds . . . two seconds ... one second...

"It's gone," said Ron, sounding stunned. "The train's left. What if Mum and Dad can't get back through to us? Have you got any Muggle money?"

And they marched off through the crowd of curious Muggles, out of the station and back onto the side road where the old Ford Anglia was parked.

Ron unlocked the cavernous trunk with a series of taps from his wand. They heaved their luggage back in, put Hedwig on the back seat, and got into the front.

"Check that no one's watching," said Ron, starting the ignition with another tap of his wand. Harry stuck his head out of the window: Traffic was rumbling along the main road ahead, but their street was empty. "Okay," he said.

Ron pressed a tiny silver button on the dashboard. The car around them vanished - and so did they. Harry could feel the seat vibrating beneath him, hear the engine, feel his hands on his knees and his glasses on his nose, but for all he could see, he had become a pair of eyeballs, floating a few feet above the ground in a dingy street full of parked cars.

"Let's go," said Ron's voice from his right.

And the ground and the dirty buildings on either side fell away, dropping out of sight as the car rose; in seconds, the whole of London lay, smoky and glittering, below them.

Then there was a popping noise and the car, Harry, and Ron reappeared.

"Uh-oh," said Ron, jabbing at the Invisibility Booster. "It's faulty -"

Both of them pummeled it. The car vanished. Then it flickered back again.

"Hold on!" Ron yelled, and he slammed his foot on the accelerator; they shot straight into the low, woolly clouds and everything turned dull and foggy.

"Now what?" said Harry, blinking at the solid mass of cloud pressing in on them from all sides.

"We need to see the train to know what direction to go in," said Ron.

"Dip back down again - quickly -"

They dropped back beneath the clouds and twisted around in their seats, squinting at the ground.

"I can see it!" Harry yelled. "Right ahead - there!"

The Hogwarts Express was streaking along below them like a scarlet snake.

"Due north," said Ron, checking the compass on the dashboard. "Okay, we'll just have to check on it every half hour or so - hold on

And they shot up through the clouds. A minute later, they burst out into a blaze of sunlight.

It was a different world. The wheels of the car skimmed the sea of fluffy cloud, the sky a bright, endless blue under the blinding white sun.

"All we've got to worry about now are airplanes," said Ron.

They looked at each other and started to laugh; for a long time, they couldn't stop.

It was as though they had been plunged into a fabulous dream. This, thought Harry, was surely the only way to travel - past swirls and turrets of snowy cloud, in a car full of hot, bright sunlight, with a fat pack of toffees in the glove compartment, and the prospect of seeing Fred's and George's jealous faces when they landed smoothly and spectacularly on the sweeping lawn in front of Hogwarts castle. How Juliet would be so impressed she would forget about the dragon tamer, and have eyes for him.

They made regular checks on the train as they flew farther and farther north, each dip beneath the clouds showing them a different view. London was soon far behind them, replaced by neat green fields that gave way in turn to wide, purplish moors, a great city alive with cars like multicolored ants, villages with tiny toy churches.

Several uneventful hours later, however, Harry had to admit that some of the fun was wearing off. The toffees had made them extremely thirsty and they had nothing to drink. He and Ron had pulled off their sweaters, but Harry's T-shirt was sticking to the back of his seat and his glasses kept sliding down to the end of his sweaty nose. He had stopped noticing the fantastic cloud shapes now and was thinking longingly of the train miles below, where you could buy ice-cold pumpkin juice from a trolley pushed by a plump witch. Why hadn't they been able to get onto platform nine and three-quarters?

"Can't be much further, can it?" croaked Ron, hours later still, as the sun started to sink into their floor of cloud, staining it a deep pink. "Ready for another check on the train?"

It was still right below them, winding its way past a snowcapped mountain. It was much darker beneath the canopy of clouds.

Ron put his foot on the accelerator and drove them upward again, but as he did so, the engine began to whine.

Harry and Ron exchanged nervous glances.

"It's probably just tired," said Ron. "It's never been this far before ...

And they both pretended not to notice the whining growing louder and louder as the sky became steadily darker. Stars were blossoming in the blackness. Harry pulled his sweater back on, trying to ignore the way the windshield wipers were now waving feebly, as though in protest. "Not far," said Ron, more to the car than to Harry, "not far now," and he patted the dashboard nervously. When they flew back beneath the clouds a little while later, they had to squint through the darkness for a landmark they knew. "There!" Harry shouted, making Ron and Hedwig jump. "Straight ahead!" Silhouetted on the dark horizon, high on the cliff over the lake, stood the many turrets and towers of Hogwarts castle. But the car had begun to shudder and was losing speed. "Come on," Ron said cajolingly, giving the steering wheel a little shake, "nearly there, come on -" The engine groaned. Narrow jets of steam were issuing from under the hood. Harry found himself gripping the edges of his seat very hard as they flew toward the lake. The car gave a nasty wobble. Glancing out of his window, Harry saw the smooth, black, glassy surface of the water, a mile below. Ron's knuckles were white on the steering wheel. The car wobbled again. "Come on," Ron muttered. They were over the lake - the castle was right ahead - Ron put his foot down. There was a loud clunk, a splutter, and the engine died completely.

"Uh-oh," said Ron, into the silence.

The nose of the car dropped. They were falling, gathering speed, heading straight for the solid castle wall.

"Noooooo!" Ron yelled, swinging the steering wheel around; they missed the dark stone wall by inches as the car turned in a great arc, soaring over the dark greenhouses, then the vegetable patch, and then out over the black lawns, losing altitude all the time.

Ron let go of the steering wheel completely and pulled his wand out of his back pocket

"STOP! STOP!" he yelled, whacking the dashboard and the windshield, but they were still plummeting, the ground flying up toward them

"WATCH OUT FOR THAT TREE!" Harry bellowed, lunging for the steering wheel, but too late.

CRUNCH.

With an earsplitting bang of metal on wood, they hit the thick tree trunk and dropped to the ground with a heavy jolt. Steam was billowing from under the crumpled hood; Hedwig was shrieking in terror; a golf ball-size lump was throbbing on Harry's head where he had hit the windshield; and to his right, Ron let out a low, despairing groan.

"Are you okay?" Harry said urgently.

"My wand," said Ron, in a shaky voice. "Look at my wand -"

It had snapped, almost in two; the tip was dangling limply, held on by a few splinters.

Harry opened his mouth to say he was sure they'd be able to mend it up at the school, but he never even got started. At that very moment, something hit his side of the car with the force of a charging bull, sending him lurching sideways into Ron, just as an equally heavy blow hit the roof.

"What's happen -?"

Ron gasped, staring through the windshield, and Harry looked around just in time to see a branch as thick as a python smash into it. The tree they had hit was attacking them. Its trunk was bent almost double, and its gnarled boughs were pummeling every inch of the car it could reach.

"Aaargh!" said Ron as another twisted limb punched a large dent into his door; the windshield was now trembling under a hail of blows from knuckle-like twigs and a branch as thick as a battering ram was pounding furiously on the roof, which seemed to be caving

"Run for it!" Ron shouted, throwing his full weight against his door, but next second he had been knocked backward into Harry's lap by a vicious uppercut from another branch.

"We're done for!" he moaned as the ceiling sagged, but suddenly the floor of the car was vibrating - the engine had restarted.

"Reverse!" Harry yelled, and the car shot backward; the tree was still trying to hit them; they could hear its roots creaking as it almost ripped itself up, lashing out at them as they sped out of reach.

"That," panted Ron, "was close. Well done, car -"

The car, however, had reached the end of its tether. With two sharp clunks, the doors flew open and Harry felt his seat tip sideways: Next thing he knew he was sprawled on the damp ground. Loud thuds told him that the car was ejecting their luggage from the trunk; Hedwig's cage flew through the air and burst open; she rose out of it with an angry screech and sped off toward the castle without a backward look. Then, dented, scratched, and steaming, the car rumbled off into the darkness, its rear lights blazing angrily.

"Come back!" Ron yelled after it, brandishing his broken wand. "Dad'll kill me!"

But the car disappeared from view with one last snort from its exhaust.

"Can you believe our luck?" said Ron miserably, bending down to pick up Scabbers. "Of all the trees we could've hit, we had to get one that hits back."

He glanced over his shoulder at the ancient tree, which was still flailing its branches threateningly.

"Come on," said Harry wearily, "we'd better get up to the school ... so thankful she hadn't seen him mess up so badly, she never look at him again.

It wasn't at all the triumphant arrival they had pictured. Stiff, cold, and bruised, they seized the ends of their trunks and began dragging them up the grassy slope, toward the great oak front doors.

"I think the feast's already started," said Ron, dropping his trunk at the foot of the front steps and crossing quietly to look through a brightly lit window. "Hey - Harry - come and look - it's the Sorting!"

Harry hurried over and, together, he and Ron peered in at the Great Hall.

Innumerable candles were hovering in midair over four long, crowded tables, making the golden plates and goblets sparkle. Overhead, the bewitched ceiling, which always mirrored the sky outside, sparkled with stars.

Through the forest of pointed black Hogwarts hats, Harry saw a long line of scared-looking first year's filing into the Hall. Ginny was among them, easily visible because of her vivid Weasley hair. Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall, a bespectacled witch with her hair in a tight bun, was placing the famous Hogwarts Sorting Hat on a stool before the newcomers.

Every year, this aged old hat, patched, frayed, and dirty, sorted new students into the four Hogwarts houses (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin). Harry well remembered putting it on, exactly one year ago, and waiting, petrified, for its decision as it muttered aloud in his ear. For a few horrible seconds he had feared that the hat was going to put him in Slytherin, the house that had turned out more Dark witches and wizards than any other -but he had ended up in Gryffindor, along with Ron, Hermione, and the rest of the Weasleys. Last term, Harry and Ron had helped Gryffindor win the House Championship, beating Slytherin for the first time in seven years.

A very small, mousy-haired boy had been called forward to place the hat on his head. Harry's eyes wandered past him to where Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, sat watching the Sorting from the staff table, his long silver beard and half-moon glasses shining brightly in the candlelight. Several seats along, Harry saw Gilderoy Lockhart, dressed in robes of aquamarine. And there at the end was Hagrid, huge and hairy, drinking deeply from his goblet.

Juliet was watching with her friends, her face cool but he could see her mirth she just shook her head looking away mouthing something to Mione. Nope she wasn't impressed at all, she was the exact opposite.

"Hang on…" Harry muttered to Ron. "There's an empty chair at the staff table…where's Snape?"

Professor Severus Snape was Harry's least favorite teacher. Harry also happened to be Snape's least favorite student. Cruel, sarcastic, and disliked by everybody except the students from his own house (Slytherin), Snape taught Potions.

"Maybe he's ill!" said Ron hopefully.

"Maybe he's left," said Harry, "because he missed out on the Defense against Dark Arts job again!"

"Or he might have been sacked!" said Ron enthusiastically. "I mean, everyone hates him -"

"Or maybe," said a very cold voice right behind them, "he's waiting to hear why you two didn't arrive on the school train."

Harry spun around. There, his black robes rippling in a cold breeze, stood Severus Snape. He was a thin man with sallow skin, a hooked nose, and greasy, shoulder-length black hair, and at this moment, he was smiling in a way that told Harry he and Ron were in very deep trouble.

"Follow me," said Snape, he chanced another look at her now she was smiling shaking her head at them.

 **Juliet's point of view…**

I don't get how Potter is supposed to be the chosen one when he can't even make the train, let alone not getting his arse handed to him every chance he gets. I watched my Uncle leading him and Ronald out of the great hall as the sorting was happening, I had another Gryffindor and two Ravenclaws in my grasp.

"I am sorry Daphne," I placed my hand on hers as she watched her sister sit with Luna, Cho and Padma in Ravenclaw, a single tear slipped from Daphne…


	4. Dragon Tamer

**Good morning fanfiction, here is chapter four for Snakes chamber hoping you are enjoying it. J.K owns it all not me so no money is being made, please review and now on to the story…**

 **Author point of view…**

"Follow me," Snape ordered.

Not daring even to look at each other, Harry and Ron followed Snape up the steps into the vast, echoing entrance hall, which was lit with flaming torches. A delicious smell of food was wafting from the Great Hall, but Snape led them away from the warmth and light, down a narrow stone staircase that led into the dungeons.

"In!" he said, opening a door halfway down the cold passageway and pointing.

They entered Snape's office, shivering. The shadowy walls were lined with shelves of large glass jars, in which floated all manner of revolting things Harry didn't really want to know the name of at the moment. The fireplace was dark and empty. Snape closed the door and turned to look at them. Juliet seemed nothing like her Uncle, but she could be as cold and aloft as him.

"So," he said softly, "the train isn't good enough for the famous Harry Potter and his faithful sidekick Weasley. Wanted to arrive with a bang, did we, boys?"

"No, sir, it was the barrier at King's Cross, it -"

"Silence!" said Snape coldly. "What have you done with the car?" Ron gulped. This wasn't the first time Snape had given Harry the impression of being able to read minds. But a moment later, he understood, as Snape unrolled today's issue of the Evening Prophet.

"You were seen," he hissed, showing them the headline: FLYING FORD ANGLIA MYSTIFIES MUGGLES. He began to read aloud: "Two Muggles in London, convinced they saw an old car flying over the Post Office tower ... at noon in Norfolk, Mrs. Hetty Bayliss, while hanging out her washing ... Mr. Angus Fleet, of Peebles, reported to police ... Six or seven Muggles in all. I believe your father works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office?" he said, looking up at Ron and smiling still more nastily.

"Dear, dear ... his own son…" Harry felt as though he'd just been walloped in the stomach by one of the mad tree's larger branches. If anyone found out Mr. Weasley had bewitched the car ... he hadn't thought of that...

"I noticed, in my search of the park, that considerable damage seems to have been done to a very valuable Whomping Willow," Snape went on. "That tree did more damage to us than we -" Ron blurted out. "Silence!" snapped Snape again. "Most unfortunately, you are not in my House and the decision to expel you does not rest with me. I shall go and fetch the people who do have that happy power. You will wait here." Harry and Ron stared at each other, white-faced. Harry didn't feel hungry any more. He now felt extremely sick. He tried not to look at a large, slimy something suspended in green liquid on a shelf behind Snape's desk. If Snape had gone to fetch Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House, they were hardly any better off. She might be fairer than Snape, but she was still extremely strict, now Juliet definitely was her granddaughter Harry smiled to himself despite their predicament.

Ten minutes later, Snape returned, and sure enough it was Professor McGonagall who accompanied him. Harry had seen Professor McGonagall angry on several occasions, but either he had forgotten just how thin her mouth could go, or he had never seen her this angry before. She raised her wand the moment she entered; Harry and Ron both flinched, but she merely pointed it at the empty fireplace, where flames suddenly erupted. Bloody hell, Harry thought this was exactly where Juliet got her demeanor from, she didn't look like someone to fear until she wanted people to fear her.

"Sit," she said, and they both backed into chairs by the fire.

"Explain," she said, her glasses glinting ominously.

Ron launched into the story, starting with the barrier at the station refusing to let them through.

"So we had no choice, Professor, we couldn't get on the train."

"Why didn't you send us a letter by owl? I believe you have an owl?" Professor McGonagall said coldly to Harry.

Harry gaped at her. Now she said it, which seemed the obvious thing to have done." I - I didn't think -"

"That," said Professor McGonagall, "is obvious."

There was a knock on the office door and Snape, now looking happier than ever, opened it. There stood the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore.

Harry's whole body went numb. Dumbledore was looking unusually grave. He stared down his very crooked nose at them, and

Harry suddenly found himself wishing he and Ron were still being beaten up by the Whomping Willow.

There was a long silence. Then Dumbledore said, "Please explain why you did this."

It would have been better if he had shouted. Harry hated the disappointment in his voice. For some reason, he was unable to look Dumbledore in the eyes, and spoke instead to his knees. He told Dumbledore everything except that Mr. Weasley owned the bewitched car, making it sound as though he and Ron had happened to find a flying car parked outside the station. He knew Dumbledore would see through this at once, but Dumbledore asked no questions about the car. When Harry had finished, he merely continued to peer at them through his spectacles. Juliet had the same calm expression when she wanted answers, but she could be down right mean.

"We'll go and get our stuff," said Ron in a hopeless sort of voice.

"What are you talking about, Weasley?" barked Professor McGonagall.

"Well, you're expelling us, aren't you?" said Ron.

Harry looked quickly at Dumbledore, Juliet had his eyes but hers were much brighter. Harry caught himself trying to think how Juliet's mum would have been.

"Not today, Mr. Weasley," said Dumbledore. "But I must impress upon both of you the seriousness of what you have done. I will be writing to both your families tonight. I must also warn you that if you do anything like this again, I will have no choice but to expel you."

Snape looked as though Christmas had been canceled. He cleared his throat and said, "Professor Dumbledore, these boys have flouted the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry, caused serious damage to an old and valuable tree - surely acts of this nature -"

"It will be for Professor McGonagall to decide on these boys' punishments, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly. "They are in her House and are therefore her responsibility." He turned to Professor McGonagall. "I must go back to the feast, Minerva, I've got to give out a few notices. Come, Severus, there's a delicious-looking custard tart I want to sample -"

"Dumbledore I implore you to override Minerva's judgement. Another thing that boy shouldn't be allowed near Juliet, he is just like his father," Snape grumbled at Harry while Ron just stared. It was so gross to see Dumbledore snog McGonagall even for a brief second before he readied to leave.

"Severus enough, I have warned you." Professor McGonagall snapped out her wand pointed right at Snape.

Snape shot a look of pure venom at Harry and Ron as he allowed himself to be swept out of his office, leaving them alone with Professor McGonagall, who was still eyeing them like a wrathful eagle. "You'd better get along to the hospital wing, Weasley, you're bleeding."

"Not much," said Ron, hastily wiping the cut over his eye with his sleeve.

"Professor, I wanted to watch my sister being Sorted -" "The Sorting Ceremony is over," said Professor McGonagall. "Your sister is also in Gryffindor." "Oh, good," said Ron.

"And speaking of Gryffindor -" Professor McGonagall said sharply, but Harry cut in: "Professor, when we took the car, term hadn't started, so - so Gryffindor shouldn't really have points taken from it - should it?" he finished, watching her anxiously. Professor McGonagall gave him a piercing look, but he was sure she had almost smiled. Her mouth looked less thin, anyway. "I will not take any points from Gryffindor," she said, and Harry's heart lightened considerably. "But you will both get a detention."

It was better than Harry had expected. As for Dumbledore's writing to the Dursleys, that was nothing. Harry knew perfectly well they'd just be disappointed that the Whomping Willow hadn't squashed him flat.

Professor McGonagall raised her wand again and pointed it at Snape's desk. A large plate of sandwiches, two silver goblets, and a jug of-iced pumpkin juice appeared with a pop.

"You will eat in here and then go straight up to your dormitory," she said. "I must also return to the feast. And as for my granddaughter her grandfather and I are very happy she is making friends in every house,"

When the door had closed behind her, Ron let out a long, low whistle.

"I thought we'd had it," he said, grabbing a sandwich.

"So did I," said Harry, taking one, too.

"Can you believe our luck, though?" said Ron thickly through a mouthful of chicken and ham. "Fred and George must've flown that car five or six times and no Muggle ever saw them." He swallowed and took another huge bite. "Why couldn't we get through the barrier?"

Harry shrugged. "We'll have to watch our step from now on, though," he said, taking a grateful swig of pumpkin juice. "Wish we could've gone up to the feast…"

"She didn't want us showing off," said Ron sagely. "Doesn't want people to think it's clever, arriving by flying car."

"I don't think so, Juliet and her friends are having a right good laugh at us. I don't think we impressed anyone Ron," Harry said in a low voice.

When they had eaten as many sandwiches as they could (the plate kept refilling itself) they rose and left the office, treading the familiar path to Gryffindor Tower. The castle was quiet; it seemed that the feast was over. They walked past muttering portraits and creaking suits of armor, and climbed narrow flights of stone stairs, until at last they reached the passage where the secret entrance to Gryffindor Tower was hidden, behind an oil painting of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" she said as they approached.

"Er -" said Harry.

They didn't know the new year's password, not having met a Gryffindor prefect yet, but help came almost immediately; they heard hurrying feet behind them and turned to see Hermione dashing toward them, a fire burned in her eyes as the twins ran with her.

"There you are! Where have you been? The most ridiculous rumors - someone said you'd been expelled for crashing a flying car" Hermione her hair frizzled, anything said was going right back to her sister.

"Well, we haven't been expelled," Harry assured her.

"You're not telling me you did fly here? Surly to impress a certain someone Harry" said Hermione, sounding almost as severe as Professor McGonagall, yeah she was a lot like her to, but was Harry that transparent.

"Skip the lecture," said Ron impatiently, "and tell us the new password."

"It's `wattlebird,"' said Hermione impatiently, "but that's not the point -"

Her words were cut short, however, as the portrait of the fat lady swung open and there was a sudden storm of clapping. It looked as though the whole of Gryffindor House was still awake, packed into the circular common room, standing on the lopsided tables and squashy armchairs, waiting for them to arrive. Arms reached through the portrait hole to pull Harry and Ron inside, leaving Hermione to scramble in after them.

"Brilliant!" yelled Lee Jordan. "Inspired! What an entrance! Flying a car right into the Whomping Willow, people'll be talking about that one for years -"

"Good for you," said a fifth year Harry had never spoken to; someone was patting him on the back as though he'd just won a marathon; Fred and George pushed their way to the front of the crowd and said together, "Why couldn't we've come in the car, eh? And dear brother watch how you talk to Hermione, or I will curse you with never ending Spiders,"

Ron was scarlet in the face, grinning embarrassedly, but Harry could see one person who didn't look happy at all. Percy was visible over the heads of some excited first years, and he seemed to be trying to get near enough to start telling them off. Harry nudged Ron in the ribs and nodded in Percy's direction. Ron got the point at once.

"Just so you know Juliet thinks it was moronic," Ginny's smirk made Harry feel even lower now.

"Got to get upstairs - bit tired," he said, and the two of them started pushing their way toward the door on the other side of the room, which led to a spiral staircase and the dormitories.

"'Night," Harry called back to Hermione, who was wearing a scowl just like Percy's.

They managed to get to the other side of the common room, still having their backs slapped, and gained the peace of the staircase. They hurried up it, right to the top, and at last reached the door of their old dormitory, which now had a sign on it saying SECOND YEARS. They entered the familiar, circular room, with its five four-posters hung with red velvet and its high, narrow windows. Their trunks had been brought up for them and stood at the ends of their beds.

Ron grinned guiltily at Harry.

"I know I shouldn't've enjoyed that or anything, but –"

The dormitory door flew open and in came the other second year Gryffindor boys, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Neville Longbottom.

"Unbelievable!" beamed Seamus.

"Cool," said Dean.

"Amazing, but Juliet wants a word in the morning Harry," said Neville, not as awestruck as they thought he would be, the summer had done something to Neville he was taller and the confidence rolled off him in waves.

Harry couldn't help it, he grinned, too.

Juliet's point of view…

"Tell Potter that I would like to have a little chat after breakfast," Neville just gave me a nod before walking off with Hermione, who I hugged tight before walking away with the girls. I was tired as we walked to the Slytherin common room in near silence. "Daphne make sure Astoria knows who our allies are in Ravenclaw, Luna, Cho, and Padma," I said no emotions crossed my face, Draco was walking a few feet ahead with Nott and Blaise.

"She knows Mistress, they have pledged their loyalty to you. She will of course know of our allies in each house. " Daphne smiled but the pride shined through in her words, they did already on the train but want to have another go at it.

I say, "First I would like to explain our cause, and what being part of the New Order really means," Daphne gave a curt nod of understanding, I was honored she took it but I wanted the girl's to understand what they are in for. What they are all in for.

"A very wise choice," Pansy said her head held high as her and Millie walked to my left, Daphne and Avery to my right. "Your best interest will always be mine, I won't have you do my dirty work." I said as we walked through seeing the common room filled Uncle was standing in the middle of the room waiting for the last of us to arrive, we only had two male first years, very sad indeed.

Uncle was making the very same speech he did in my first year, eyes turned towards me. I let my magic flow the rush feeling it move like a current over my body, letting all know I was still in charge everyone could feel my magic and the power behind it. "Our new Slytherin perfects are Mr. Deek and Miss. Keegan, I am sure they will bring honor to Slytherin, go to them for your needs. Goodnight to you all," he swept away stopping at me.

"Your vile, my dear," in his hand was a vile filled with sky blue liquid.

I gave him a look, "No, I refuse to take it. I won't be taking it again," I hated being so depended on the dreamless sleep, I need to face whatever fear resided in my dreams.

"Juliet,"

"I said no," with that we walked off, I could hear his sigh and the wall closing.

"Black, welcome home." Kayli Keegan smiled she was well versed in not crossing me, sadly she was petrified of snakes.

I spoke in a loud clear voice, "Let me get this straight, nothing about last year has changed. I am tired of this house being last and in the shadows because we are sly and cunning. If I see or hear of any of you bullying a younger student or just being a stuck up pureblood. Well ask Flint, Keegan and a few more what I will do,"

I looked around the room making eye contact with every single one, some looked away but most understood I would hold up my promise. "Another thing, one more reminder that word isn't to be uttered. My sister Hermione Granger is off limits"

"But my father said we are better than Mudbloods, they should be licking our boots," I turned so fast my hair covered my pale face, I raised my hand, moving the birds nest of hair away from my face. The small boy stumbled back upon seeing blood red eyes staring at him.

"I warned you,"

My wand was out a pale pink spark flew from it, I never uttered a word in my angerthe raw emotion made it pointless to talk, the boy was screaming in pain "This is your last warning, Muggleborns aren't low they are our equals,"

"Take Mr. Tarsi to the hospital wing before he soils himself," Daphne said as two second years picked the screaming boy under the arms dragging him from the common room.

Avery smirked, "Thank you, folks," her voice loud as we walked to our dorms and Pansy to hers.

It was near midnight as I sat in the small alcove, just watching the clouds roll across the sky, it was soothing seeing it a peace.

I woke up in the very same spot in a cold sweat, my hands shaking, green light and a mad cackle was all I remembered this time. I dressed when the girls woke I was setting a snake hairband to hold the curls from my face.

Millie asked, "Did you sleep?" her tone worried.

"Yes, for a little," my voice was off "I am leaving see you in the great hall girls," I slung my bag over my shoulder walking from my dorm with my wand strapped to my forearm ready to curse someone. I was the first at the Slytherin table, so I sat on top of the Gryffindor table chatting with Lavender, Gin, Mione, and Pavarti.

"I don't blame them but acting like that isn't worth it, but it's all trivial anyhow," I said seeing students filing in, Professors as well.

Grandfather said, "Good morning students, Miss. Black kindly do not sit atop the table my dearest, Poppet," as a flash of red at the table caught my eye as I slid off landing right next to Potter.

"Mione, am I seeing this?" I said her eyes following mine to the head table.

"Oh, Merlin's Beard," she muttered as I left for the Slytherin table taking my seat with the ladies of the order, this was no good, nope.

"A few things before we dig in. Professor Blackheart will now be our Ancient Runes teacher, with Mr. Lockhart as our Defense against the Dark Arts teacher." applause was heard, but my order just gave small claps out of duty.

Pop pop called out,"Now we have a new Care of Magical Creatures, until poor Professor Hoghorn recovers. He hails from Romania where he trained dragons, welcome Mr. Charlie Weasley. He will be here a short time please make him feel welcomed," with that all the Weasleys but Gin and the new Order shouted and cheered with all the Gryffindor's.

Charlie stood giving me a sly wink as he waved "Bloody hell," I whispered my eyes wide. He took time away from my dragon to be here, my heart was racing.

Avery smirked, "You just might have a rough year yet, Jay," before she fell over stunned on the floor, I never raised my wand but I saw Hermione's wand drawn, her own smirk in place.

I scoffed, "This year might just be my last," as the food appeared.

.

"Yes mistress," Daphne gave a slight smirk as Juliet's eyes popped open.

"No," was all she got out, disgusted that term was used and being directed towards her.

"You will get used to it, it's what we call you," Avery smiled her arm slung over Blacks shoulder.

"Merlin help me," Juliet mused once again, trying to avoid eye contact with the her new Professor.

"Come on girls, we have classes with them later," Millie interjected helping both dejected girls, Juliet had a year to get used to this but poor Daphne the ice queen had not. The Great Hall, with the four long house tables that were laden with tureens of porridge, plates of kippers, mountains of toast, and dishes of eggs and bacon, beneath the enchanted ceiling (today, a dull, cloudy gray).

The girls putting some kippers, eggs, toast and bacon on their plates when the post arrived, Juliet was thrilled to see her Uncle's Owl sore through the air landing with grace on the very edge of the table a letter tied to his leg "Oh thank you so much," taking the letter before he was off not even waiting before another owl was in his place a meaner looking one at that "I will take this," snatching the letter giving him a kipper before he was off.

But her eyes moved up seeing the Gryffindor table something large and gray fell into Hermione's jug, spraying them all with milk and feathers. Oh, it was Errol, that bird was a bloody menace, but I saw the small red envelope it held, oh no.

"Brace yourself girls, Weasley got himself a Howler," they heard Juliet her eyes trained on her friends a table over.

"Better open it soon, or it will be much worse the fool," Daphne was laughing herself shaking her silky blonde hair, Ron was dense in every way possible. Lavender and Pavarti were helping Hermione clean up when it went off Ginny covered her ears with a smirk.

"STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHERAND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE -"

Mrs. Weasleys yells, a hundred times louder than usual, made the plates and spoons rattle on the table, and echoed deafeningly off the stone walls. People throughout the hall were swiveling around to see who had received the Howler, and Ron sank so low in his chair that only his crimson forehead could be seen.

"- LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU AND HARRY COULD BOTH HAVE DIED -"

Harry had been wondering when his name was going to crop up. He tried very hard to look as though he couldn't hear the voice that was making his eardrums throb.

"-ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED - YOUR FATHER'S FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME."

A ringing silence fell. The red envelope, which had dropped from Ron's hand, burst into flames and curled into ashes. Harry and Ron sat stunned, as though a tidal wave had just passed over them. A few people laughed and, gradually, a babble of talk broke out again.

Hermione closed Voyages with Vampires and looked down at the top of Ron's head not saying a word feeling bad for them both, knowing they in fact deserved it.

But Professor McGonagall was moving along the Gryffindor table, handing out course schedules, and when their grandmother was around they tried to act like proper young ladies which was a lot easier since they grew up.

But over at the Slytherin table his troubles were their glee as it spread like a wild fire, but among Juliet and her friends it was quite nothing was said.

 **Juliet's point of view…**

Stupid, stupid, stupid boy's was all I could think seeing them, Ron thinking he could sink as low to the floor and poor Potter trying to act as if he couldn't hear a thing.

"Here you go Miss. Black," I just held my hand up feeling the parchment slip into it I had a good number of classes with Gryffindor this year, but not my first class or second how lovely.

Juliet mused, "Well come on let's get on with it, Ginny and Luna have Astoria well in hand and tonight we have the meeting," walking the length of the great hall towards the Gryffindor table Fred and George standing chatting up a blushing Hermione.

Ron nearly snarled out, the tips of his ears red. "Leave her alone, go find Angelina to bother," Ron was turning a rather deep shade of red, his ears and all.

"Fred, George can you meet me in the garden after the feast?" I questioned much to Harry and Ron's confused looks.

"Sure, can Snakelet,"

"bye little bird," each placed a swift kiss to her cheeks than mine before laughing walking off with Lee Jordan, now Ronald looked ready to tear their heads off. He had himself a little crush on my sister, it was plain as day.

I gained their attention, "Morning Potter, Weasley hope you both slept well. Lavender, Nev, Pavarti and Mione the same goes for you Garden after the feast," my voice was pleasant but more formal.

"Yes of course," was answered the boys just looked dumbfounded as Daphne was at the Ravenclaw table and Millie was talking to Susan and Hannah at the Hufflepuff table.

"Well have a good day boys," I turned leaving with the girls heading to our first period of the day the corridors packed with students rushing to their classes.

"Better hurry along ladies," Professor Lupin smiled.

"Yes Professor," Hermione picked up her pace heading out with Harry and Ron with a hug she was going to the green houses with Sue and Hannah. I had Muggle studies than Herbology, so we just walked behind Professor Lupin.

Pansy sat with Draco as a nice cover, Avery and Millie, than Daphne and I, in front of me was Cho and Padma even though Cho was a year ahead of us she took this class as an extra.

"Okay class, today we will be learning about technology in the muggle world," I pulled my quill out with a roll of parchment taking notes.

It wasn't all new as my Aunt Jane had all these and I could use them, the computer gave me trouble at times. "I doubt as you say, Professor," Draco quipped.

"Well you're dense, Malfoy," I smirked at him a cover this was all a cover, he and I would have to play our parts very well.

"I have used these Muggle computers, radios, phones before and they are useful if only our magic didn't blow them up it would make our lives much simpler," I challenged him but he just shrugged his shoulders shutting up.

Professor Lupin smiled, "Yes, I assumed your Aunt Jean would have shown you much of these, class please pack up," at the end of our lesson, looking rather haggard, I knew Uncle Snape hated having him here with a burning passion but not the why he was so set against it.

But now it was time for Lockhearts class it wasn't one I was particularly looking forward to by any standards, he was a fraud and I couldn't see how Grandfather didn't see this. How was this bubbling buffoon working here teaching students? I hope we didn't end up maimed before the end of the school year, thanks to his lessons.

But it is my class with Hermione.


	5. Oh, how wonderful

**Hello fellow fanfiction writers and readers, here is another chapter of this story that I hope you guys will enjoy. As usual I own nothing except new characters and ideas, I make no money from writing, and all rights go to the rightful owners. Thanks for reading, please leave a review!**

I was dreading this very class; how could any person fathom this dimwitted narcissistic prevaricator? He was a wolf in what others would call pretty packaging. Daphne was just as displeased, Avery seemed indifferent to the class, Millie I think had a tiny crush. The halls are filled as dead head I see Draco causing trouble for Potter, for now he had a role to play but there was never a need to take it too far.

Millie muttered, "Draco has a flare for the dramatics." she was right, we walked to the classroom which was warm with the sunlight pouring in, candles lit letting off the aroma of Jasmine, not too over bearing but not necessary. Pansy gave me a nod as Daphne sighed walking away, she was the best to sit with Pansy and Draco, he liked pretty girls. This left Crab and Goyle to sit elsewhere, they are evil and dumb. A very nasty combination. I sit with Avery and Millie, Potter, Weasley, and Mione in front of us, Daphne, Draco, and Pansy behind us.

Lockhart was nowhere to be seen, but his awful portraits all smile flashing white teeth, they grin or wink. This was going to be the worst class the entire year.

I snort, "Bloody narcissist." with my friends agreeing, Millie not so much, the Balustrade's, well Millie's father is letting her join some muggle sport, small views changing.

Too soon Lockhart glided from his office smiling and grinning, I thought Draco has a flare for the dramatics but this man had him beat.

When the whole class was seated, Lockhart cleared his throat loudly and silence fell. He reached forward, picked up Neville Longbottom's copy of Travels with Trolls, and held it up to show his own, winking portrait on the front.

"Me," he said, pointing at it and winking as well. "Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most- Charming-Smile Award - but I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her!"

He waited for us to laugh; a few people smiled weakly.

"I see you've all bought a complete set of my books -well done. I thought we'd start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about just to check how well you've read them, how much you've taken in -"

When he had handed out the test papers he returned to the front of the class and said, "You have thirty minutes - start - now!"

I glared down at this "quiz" I was going to have to scribble answers into this false representation of a quiz.

What is Gilderoy Lockhart 's favorite color?

Why does this matter?

What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?

To keep his dirty secret's just that, a bloody secret.

What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?

Being a dimwitted narcissistic prevaricator.

On and on it went, over three sides of paper, right down to:

40\. When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday, and what would his ideal gift be?

I have no bloody clue, and if this quiz makes me snap you'll be getting a well-aimed jinx.

I sighed, I was going to get in trouble for this so I was going to have words with Grandmother, this was not learning. This was learning about this crack pot old fool.

Half an hour later, Lockhart collected the papers and rifled through them in front of the class.

"Tut, tut - hardly any of you remembered that my favorite color is lilac. I say so in Year with the Yeti. And a few of you need to read Wanderings with Werewolves more carefully - I clearly state in chapter twelve that my ideal birthday gift would be harmony between all magic and non-magic peoples - though I wouldn't say no to a large bottle of Ogdeds Old Firewhisky!"

He gave us another roguish wink. Avery was now staring at Lockhart with an expression of disbelief on her face; Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, who were sitting in front, were shaking with silent laughter. Hermione, on the other hand, was listening to Lockhart with rapt attention and gave a start when he mentioned her name, my sister was a bloody bint.

". . . but Miss Hermione Granger knew my secret ambition is to rid the world of evil and market my own range of hair-care potions - good girl! In fact," - he flipped her paper over - "full marks! Where is Miss Hermione Granger?"

*100*

Hermione raised a trembling hand.

I scoff, "Mione, can't believe you read the trash on these books." her eyes narrowed, she turned from me in her anger.

I scoffed, "Be mad." Harry and Ron looked more shocked than anything, but these books are real events shrouded by facts and details about Lockhart himself, it is like two different people reside in the pages.

"Excellent!" beamed Lockhart. "Quite excellent! Take ten points for Gryffindor! And so - to business -"

He bent down behind his desk and lifted a large, covered cage onto it.

"Now - be warned! It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizard kind! You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here. All I ask is that you remain calm."

In spite of himself, I watched as Harry leaned around his pile of books for a better look at the cage. Lockhart placed a hand on the cover. Dean and Seamus had stopped laughing now. Neville was watching in his front row seat in front of Mione, the cage was being watched by many.

"I must ask you not to scream." said Lockhart in a low voice. "It might provoke them."

Lockhart whipped off the cover.

"Yes." he said dramatically. "Freshly caught Cornish pixies. "

Seamus Finnigan couldn't control himself. He let out a snort of laughter that even Lockhart couldn't mistake for a scream of terror.

"Yes?" He smiled at Seamus.

"Well, they're not - they're not very - dangerous, are they?" Seamus choked.

"Don't be so sure!" said Lockhart, waggling a finger annoyingly at Seamus. "Devilish tricky little blighters they can be!"

The pixies were electric blue and about eight inches high, with pointed faces and voices so shrill it was like listening to a lot of budgies arguing. The moment the cover had been removed, they had started jabbering and rocketing around, rattling the bars and making bizarre faces at the people nearest them.

"Right, then." Lockhart said loudly. "Let's see what you make of them!" And he opened the cage.

It was pandemonium. The pixies shot in every direction like rockets. Two of them seized Neville by the ears and lifted him into the air. Several shot straight through the window, showering the back row with broken glass. The rest proceeded to wreck the classroom more effectively than a rampaging Erumpent. They grabbed ink bottles and sprayed the class with them, shredded books and papers, tore pictures from the walls, up-ended the waste basket, grabbed bags and books and threw them out of the smashed window; within minutes, half the class was sheltering under desks and Neville was swinging from the iron chandelier in the ceiling scowling. Three start pulling Daphne's pale blonde hair as Pansy and Draco fail to remove them, Avery was having a row with two over her locket. Millie might have killed one with Year with the Yeti. I sit watching the chaos, one was ranting around in Hermione's bushy hair.

"Come on now - round them up, round them up, they're only pixies!" Lockhart shouted.

He rolled up his sleeves, brandished his wand, and bellowed, "Peskipiksi Pesternomi!" fake spell.

It had absolutely no effect; one of the pixies seized his wand and threw it out of the window, too. Lockhart gulped and dived under his own desk, narrowly avoiding being squashed by Neville, who fell a second later as the chandelier gave way.

This was out of hand as I stood my eyes red, the tell-tale sign was the burning, my wand raised, "Immobulus," every pixie froze in mid-air, another wave and the are locked back in the cage. I think the Muggle-borns should be alerted of their magic a year prior to learn spells, learn our culture, us pure bloods and half-bloods learn so much more than them. Hermione would have been the rare muggle-born with the brains to match a pure blood.

The bell rang and there was a mad rush toward the exit.

Daphne was holding her head "You okay?" I asked her, she was pissy.

She snapped, "That man is full of rubbish, those things ripped my bloody hair out!" we walked to our next class together, the disastrous Defense class behind us, we would learn to defend ourselves from his blunders.

This year, we are allowed to take an elective class which was supposed to be a third-year thing, but before I knew the teacher I signed up for Care of Magical creatures. So, Avery, Harry, Ron, Pansy, Mione, and myself walk but not together. That is odd, Harry and Ron away form us, Daphne and Millie had a free period. I could see Charlies flaming hair from here, we walked down the steep stairs that had foliage covering them heading towards Hagrid's hut.

Mione teased, "Oh, look who it is." Potter grumbled as Ron laughed at him.

I snap back, "I swear Mione, I will take away my books if you proceed to be a snot." she laughed, the air was crisp and clear the smell of pumpkin and grass mixed together, class outside was a great idea.

We all stood, Slytherin's on one side and Gryffindor's to the other, Charlie stood in the middle. I was sitting on Hagrid's low wall with Hermione, Pansy, and Avery watching, Avery was waiting for it some glimmer of Charlie flirting.

His eyes moved over each of us until they rested on mine, a slight wink as Avery nagged me with her own smile, waggling her brows.

He spoke, "Welcome to Care of Magical Creatures, this will not be an easy class. I hail from Romania where I train and care for dragons so I have some friends from all over the world who are bringing me some beasts. You will listen to me and if you chose not to you will be hurt by them, I have sent and received waivers from your parents, now it is up to you to make sure you listen. Our first lesson will be easy, with a very kind creature unless you provoke it."

At his feet is a large cage covered so we cannot see anything, "Miss. Black, you will be the first to see and touch." of course he would single me out.

I moved forward until I was standing in front of the cage, with a large smile he removed the sheet, my heart dropped. Inside was a pure white Kitsune, the eyes mismatched; red and black.

"A Kitsune, they are known to have magical powers, a superior intelligence, long life."

Charlie says, "Very good Miss. Black, ten points to Slytherin, I like how well you know your creatures." I was already touching the soft coat as it nestled into my hand.


	6. An unusual voice

**Hello fellow fanfiction writers and readers, here is another chapter of this story that I hope you guys will enjoy. As usual I own nothing except new characters and ideas, I make no money from writing, and all rights go to the rightful owners. Thanks for reading, please leave a review!**

I pulled myself from my warm bed before any could wake. I was a bloody mess.

Sleep was not forth coming, I downed a pepper up potion and waited for to start feeling the effects before getting ready for the day ahead. I braided my long hair to the side since it was a bird's nest and I rather not magic it over the weekends, I had more important things to be doing like getting ready for Quidditch practice. The Gryffindor's had the pitch after us so we have to get a move on early.

Lastly before leaving I pulled the green and silver Quidditch cloak for warmth, adding my Slytherin scarf too, it was chilly at this early hour. Slytherin players would eat after we had a full practice, since we had to use the time we had wisely. The morning air was chilled the sun not even up yet, this was not going to make for an eventful day after this I could eat and go to the garden.

Flint was waiting with Draco and the others, I yawned "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"There you are, Black, what kept you?" said Flint briskly. "Now, I wanted a quick talk with you all before we actually get onto the field, because I spent the summer devising a whole new training program, which I really think will make all the difference…"

Flint was holding up a large diagram of a Quidditch field, on which were drawn many lines, arrows, and crosses in different colored inks. He took out his wand, tapped the board, and the arrows began to wiggle over the diagram like caterpillars. As Flint launched into a speech about his new tactics, Kattie's head drooped right onto Pansy's shoulder and she began to snore, Pansy was a very good chaser and so was I.

The first diagram took nearly twenty minutes to explain, but there was another board under that, and a third under that one. We sank into a stupor as Flint droned on and on.

"So." said Flint, at long last, jerking me from a wistful fantasy about what I could be eating for breakfast at this very moment up at the castle. "Is that clear? Any questions?"

"I've got a question, Oliver." I say, who had woken with a start. "Why couldn't you have told us all this yesterday when we were awake? And have you been hanging with Woods over Summer?"

Flint wasn't pleased.

"Now, listen here, you lot." he said, glowering at us all. "We won the Quidditch cup last year. We're easily the best team. But unfortunately -owing to circumstances beyond our control - "

I was sweaty and winded when my feet hit the ground with, Kattie, Pansy, and Avery my stomach grumbling as the Gryffindor are walking onto the pitch for their own session.

Draco walked by me followed by his two goons, Nott, and lastly Zamboni, I walked with the girls stopping to say hello to Potter, who was smiling.

He says, "Morning Jay, you looked great out there," he babbled a lot as the twins laughed patting his shoulders.

"Hello, Snakelet."

"Little bird." was echoed by the twins as they hugged me.

I whispered, "Garden after lunch, we have your rings ready and tested." I tested everyone myself, a daunting task but one I took seriously.

"You got it, come on Potter enough with your blushing and babbling." I waved walking with the girls to have some food, I was starving. Once in the castle I could smell the food. Avery groaned, Pansy and Kattie both just acted like me, withdrawn.

I could see Charlie at the head table smiling as we walked in, my first stop was Gryffindor. "Hello Hermione, Nev, Lavender, Parvati, and Gin. I trust you all slept well, we will be welcoming two new members after lunch." they nodded.

Hermione smiled, "Finally." she had been waiting for so long for them to fully join, Diggory was next. A few males wouldn't hurt, we had to have equal numbers, I wanted strength in every area of magic.

"After I have a nice detention with Lockhart."

Charlie was watching us from his spot at the head table truth was I cared for him and having him so close was also not helping my sleep, granted I liked Potter as well. But for now, I eat and forget the troubles men can bring, and let us add meddling family.

Saturday afternoon seemed to melt away, and in what seemed like no time, it was five minutes to eight, and I was dragging my feet along the second-floor corridor to Lockhart's office. With gritted teeth, I stand and knock once on the closed door. Thinking of the Magic and bright light the twins brought to the joined group we are becoming stronger and stronger with the right members, this had to continue.

The door flew open at once. Lockhart beamed down at me.

"Ah, here's the lass!" he said. "Come in, Lady Black, come in -"

Shining brightly on the walls by the light of many candles were countless framed photographs of Lockhart. He had even signed a few of them. Another large pile lays on his desk.

"You can address the envelopes!" Lockhart told me, as though this was a huge treat. "This first ones to Gladys Gudgeon, bless her - huge fan of mine -"

The minutes crawled by like snails without a purpose. I sigh, this was dreadfully boring. As I look up I see Harry walking in, he smiles as he sees me and I return it. Ah, I assume the extra quill and ink well are for him.

We let Lockhart's voice wash over us, occasionally saying, "Mhm." and "Right." and "Yeah." Now and then I caught a phrase like, "Fame's a fickle friend, Harry and Lady Black." or "Celebrity is as celebrity does, remember that."

The candles burned lower and lower, making the light dance over the many moving faces of Lockhart watching us. Harry moved his surely aching hand over what felt like the thousandth envelope, writing out Veronica Smethley's address. It must be nearly time to leave, I thought miserably, please let it be nearly time...I don't either of us will voluntarily survive much more of this.

I whispered, "Can you stand the tosser?"

He answered with a smile, "No."

And then I heard something - something quite apart from the spitting of the dying candles and Lockhart's prattle about his fans.

It was a voice, a voice to chill the bone marrow, a voice of breathtaking, ice-cold venom.

"Come...come to me...Let me rip you...Let me tear you...Let me kill you…"

I gave a huge jump and a large lilac blot appeared on Molly's sheet, Harry also jumped, he heard it too, he had to have heard it.

"What?" he said loudly.

"I know!" said Lockhart. "Six solid months at the top of the best- seller list! Broke all records!"

"No." said Harry frantically. "That voice!"

"Sorry?" said Lockhart, looking puzzled. "What voice?"

"That - that voice that said - didn't you hear it?"

Lockhart was looking at Harry in high astonishment then his eyes turned towards me, "You lady Black have a wild streak." he chalked it up to me messing with Potter, I yanked him down.

"Don't go telling him you're hearing voices, Potter."

"Great Scott - look at the time! We've been here nearly four hours! I'd never have believed it - the time's flown, hasn't it?"

I snapped again, "Are we allowed to leave? I am pretty sure we have filled days' worth of detention addressing these for you."

I was gone dragging Potter with me, "Bloody hell, what was that voice?"

He answered, "I don't know, Juliet."


	7. Death Day party

**Hello fellow fanfiction writers and readers, here is another chapter of this story that I hope you guys will enjoy. As usual I own nothing except new characters and ideas, I make no money from writing, and all rights go to the rightful owners. Thanks for reading, please leave a review!**

October arrived, spreading a damp chill over the grounds and into the castle. Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was kept busy by a sudden spat of colds among the staff and students. Her Pepper up potion worked instantly, though it left the drinker smoking at the ears for several hours afterward. Not that I minded, it helped wake me up. This was by far my favorite month; summer was gone and fall arrived. The Garden was decorated as well, the portraits covered in synthetic cob webs much to Salazar's dismay who had a fear of spiders.

Raindrops the size of bullets thundered on the castle windows for days on end; the lake rose, the flower beds turned into muddy streams, and Hagrid's pumpkins swelled to the size of garden sheds. Flint's enthusiasm for regular training sessions, however, was not dampened, which was why I was to be found, late one stormy Saturday afternoon a few days before Halloween, returning to the dungeons, drenched to the skin and splattered with mud. Avery was muttering curse words under her breath all aimed at a worried Flint, he wanted to go pro at this so he would drag us all kicking and screaming.

I say, "I swear Charlie, he has to be watching me if he cared so bloody much. You think he would have told my Aunt to bugger off." my sentence was drowned out by a high-pitched mewling from somewhere near my ankles. Looking down and found us gazing into a pair of lamp-like yellow eyes. It was Mrs. Norris, the skeletal gray cat who was used by the caretaker, Argus Filch, as a sort of deputy in his endless battle against students.

"You'd better get out of here, Juliet." said Nick quickly. "Filch isn't in a good mood - he's got the flu and some third years accidentally plastered frog brains all over the ceiling in dungeon five. He's been cleaning all morning, and if he sees you dripping mud all over the place-"

I mutter, "Right." backing away with Avery away from the accusing stare of Mrs. Norris.

By the time Halloween arrived, I was regretting the promise to go to the death day party. The rest of the school was happily anticipating their Halloween feast; the Great Hall had been decorated with the usual live bats, Hagrid's vast pumpkins had been carved into lanterns large enough for three men to sit in, and there were rumors that Dumbledore had booked a troupe of dancing skeletons for the entertainment.

"A promise is a promise." Hermione reminded me bossily. "You said you'd go to the death day party."

She was right, a Black was a person of their word, I would not enjoy this but again it was my duty to go.

Avery and Daphne are coming as well, Hermione said Ronald and Harry will also be there, Nick roped Harry and he in turn made sure Mione and Ronald are going with him.

So, at seven o'clock found us together as we walked straight past the doorway to the packed Great Hall, which was glittering invitingly with gold plates and candles, and directed our steps instead toward the dungeons. We would stay long enough to be polite then I was gone, I was hungry and if my own presence was missed at dinner a certain teacher would be on the hunt.

The passageway leading to Nearly Headless Nick's party had been lined with candles too, though the effect was far from cheerful; these were long, thin, jet-black tapers, all burning bright blue, casting a dim, ghostly light even over our own living faces. The temperature dropped with every step they took. Avery shivered and drew her robes tightly around her body, we heard what sounded like a thousand fingernails scraping an enormous blackboard.

"Is that supposed to be music?" Ron whispered. We turned a corner and saw Nearly Headless Nick standing at a doorway hung with black velvet drapes.

"Maybe, what do you consider music?" Harry smiled seeing us behind them, Mione took her place with us as Ron look flustered.

"My dear friends," he said mournfully. "Welcome, welcome... so pleased you could come..."

He swept off his plumed hat and bowed them inside.

It was an incredible sight. The dungeon was full of hundreds of pearly-white, translucent people, mostly drifting around a crowded dance floor, waltzing to the dreadful, quavering sound of thirty musical saws, played by an orchestra on a raised, black-draped platform. A chandelier overhead blazed midnight-blue with a thousand more black candles. Their breath rose in a mist before them; it was like stepping into a freezer.

"Shall we have a look around?" Harry suggested, looking as if he might start shivering from the cold.

"Careful not to walk through anyone." said Ron nervously, we set off around the edge of the dance floor. We passed a group of gloomy nuns, a ragged man wearing chains, and the Fat Friar, a cheerful Hufflepuff ghost who was talking to a knight with an arrow sticking out of his forehead. I wasn't surprised to see that the Bloody Baron, a gaunt, staring Slytherin ghost covered in silver bloodstains, was being given a wide berth by the other ghosts.

Barron bowed, "Lady Black."

"Barron, a pleasure seeing you supporting Nick." I smiled, my long black hair getting in my bloody way.

Once out of ear shot I mutter, "Only staying long enough to be polite."

On the other side of the dungeon was a long table, also covered in black velvet. We approached it eagerly but in the next moment we were frozen in horror. The smell was quite disgusting. Large, rotten fish were laid on handsome silver platters; cakes, burned charcoal-black, were heaped on salvers; there was a great maggoty haggis, a slab of cheese covered in furry green mold and, in pride of place, an enormous gray cake in the shape of a tombstone, with tar-like icing forming the words,

SIR NICHOLAS DE MIMSY-PORPINGTON

DIED 31ST OCTOBER, 1492

I watched, amazed, and disgusted, as a portly ghost approached the table, crouched low, and walked through it, his mouth held wide so that it passed through one of the stinking salmon.

"Can you taste it if you walk though it?" Harry asked him.

"Almost." said the ghost sadly, and he drifted away.

"I expect they've let it rot to give it a stronger flavor." said Hermione knowledgeably, pinching her nose and leaning closer to look at the putrid haggis.

"Can we move? I feel sick." said Daphne, my stomach was churning and bile was rising.

We had barely turned around, however, when a little man swooped suddenly from under the table and came to a halt in midair before them.

"Hello, Peeves." Avery greeted him cautiously.

Unlike the ghosts around us, Peeves the Poltergeist was the very reverse of pale and transparent. He was wearing a bright orange party hat, a revolving bow tie, and a broad grin on his wide, wicked face.

Peeve's liked having a go at Hermione since Hermione and myself didn't much like Moaning Myrtle, she was a sobbing mess in the girl's loo; no one ever went inside it because of her. Look you died it was horrible but no use sobbing about it for the next century; have some fun with it.

I called, "Leave Peeves, before I either get the Barron or my Grandmother, pick your bloody poison." he vanished muttering curse words, ever since he dropped water on me my first year, I vowed to banish him.

Through the dungeon wall burst a dozen ghost horses, each ridden by a headless horseman. The assembly clapped wildly; Harry started to clap, too, but stopped quickly at the sight of Nick's face and the fact I slapped the back of his head.

The horses galloped into the middle of the dance floor and halted, rearing and plunging. At the front of the pack was a large ghost who held his bearded head under his arm, from which position he was blowing the horn. The ghost leapt down, lifted his head high in the air so he could see over the crowd (everyone laughed), and strode over to Nearly Headless Nick, squashing his head back onto his neck.

"Nick!" he roared. "How are you? Head still hanging in there?"

He gave a hearty guffaw and clapped Nearly Headless Nick on the shoulder.

"Welcome, Patrick." said Nick stiffly.

"Live 'uns!" said Sir Patrick, spotting Harry, Avery, Ron, Daphne, Hermione, and I and giving a huge, fake jump of astonishment, so that his head fell off again (the crowd howled with laughter).

I smiled, "Very amusing." my tone dark.

"Don't mind Nick!" shouted Sir Patrick's head from the floor. "Still upset we won't let him join the Hunt! But I mean to say - look at the fellow-"

"I think." said Harry hurriedly, at a meaningful look from Nick, "Nick's very - frightening and - err-"

"Ha!" yelled Sir Patrick's head.

"Bet he asked you to say that!"

"If I could have everyone's attention, it's time for my speech!" said Nearly Headless Nick loudly, striding toward the podium and climbing into an icy blue spotlight.

"My late lamented lords, ladies, and gentlemen, it is my great sorrow..."

But nobody heard much more. Sir Patrick and the rest of the Headless Hunt had just started a game of Head Hockey and the crowd were turning to watch. Nearly Headless Nick tried vainly to recapture his audience, but gave up as Sir Patrick's head went sailing past him to loud cheers.

With a wave of my wand and a spell muttered under my breath from a book given to me by Slytherin himself, green fire wrapped around every ghost who dared laugh, dared ignore Nick on his day.

Surprised faces, shrill screams where heard, "You come here to his death day party, you dance, you laugh, you fake eat that rotted food and you whisper about him, laugh at these fools. You should be ashamed of yourselves, Sir Patrick you are a loathsome ghost; the only thing people remember about you is you lost your bloody head. Now ask others who is more well remembered Nick or yourself and then you will see whom the better ghost is. Leave!" that spell was able to hurt ghost, it was long ago forgotten. They did just that and many went and gave their apologies as Nick started to give his grand speech.

I was very cold by now, not to mention hungry.

"I can't stand much more of this." Ron muttered, his teeth chattering, as the orchestra ground back into action and the ghosts swept back onto the dance floor.

"Let's go." Harry agreed, with that we all left, to get warm and eat some real food.

"... rip... tear... kill..." I slammed to a halt with Harry our eyes wide, we are hearing the same in human voice.

"What're you -?"

"It's that voice again - shut up a minute-" I snapped, my girls knew I had heard something

"... soo hungry... for so long..."

"Listen!" said Harry urgently, and Ron and Hermione froze, watching him. Avery pulled her wand as did Daphne, I too hand mine out; this was not human.

"... kill... time to kill..."

The voice was growing fainter. I was sure it was moving away - moving upward. A mixture of fear and excitement gripped me as Harry and I stared at the dark ceiling; how could it be moving upward? Was it a phantom, to whom stone ceilings didn't matter?

"This way." he shouted, and he began to run, up the stairs, into the entrance hall. It was no good hoping to hear anything here, the babble of talk from the Halloween feast was echoing out of the Great Hall. Harry sprinted up the marble staircase to the first floor, I was right behind him with Avery, Ron, Daphne and Hermione clattering behind us.

"Harry, what're we-"

"SHH!"

Distantly, from the floor above, and growing fainter still, we heard the voice: "... I smell blood... I SMELL BLOOD!"

My stomach lurched-

"It's going to kill someone!" I shouted, ignoring bewildered faces, he ran up the next flight of steps three at a time, trying to listen over their own pounding footsteps - Harry hurtled around the whole of the second floor, I nearly slammed into him with Ron, Avery, Daphne, and Mione panting behind us, not stopping until they turned a corner into the last, deserted passage.

"Harry, what was that all about?" said Ron, wiping sweat off his face. "I couldn't hear anything..."

But Hermione gave a sudden gasp, pointing down the corridor.

"Look!"

Something was shining on the wall ahead. We approached slowly, squinting through the darkness. Foot-high words had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches.

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN

OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE

"What's that thing - hanging underneath?" said Ron, a slight quiver in his voice.

As we edged nearer, Harry almost slipped - there was a large puddle of water on the floor; Ron and Hermione grabbed him, and they inched toward the message, eyes fixed on a dark shadow beneath it. All of us realized what it was at once, and leapt backward with a splash.

Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. She was stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring.

For a few seconds, we didn't move. Then Ron said, "Let's get out of here."

"Shouldn't we try and help -" Mione began awkwardly.

"Trust me." said Ron. "We don't want to be found here."

But it was too late.

"Take Mione and go now." Avery and Daphne dragged her into a nearby classroom, now it left Ron, Harry, and I to deal with the incoming crowd.

The chatter, the bustle, the noise died suddenly as the people in front spotted the hanging cat.


	8. Oh so petrified

**Hello fellow fanfiction writers and readers, here is another chapter of this story that I hope you guys will enjoy. As usual I own nothing except new characters and ideas, I make no money from writing, and all rights go to the rightful owners. Thanks for reading, please leave a review!**

It was really a toss between Potter and I getting the blame, Ronald was pale white making his freckles stand out even more. "Ron, move along." I shooed him, Potter and I will always be talked about, we are like celebrities and royalty in the Wizarding word.

Ron was thick but he got the point and moved along a little into the oncoming crowd when a loud angry voice called out, "What's going on here? What's going on?" for the love of Merlin it was Argus Filch and he was bustling up to where Mrs. Norris was hanging lifeless.

Filch came shouldering his way through the crowd. Then he saw Mrs. Norris and fell back, clutching his face in horror.

"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" he shrieked.

And his popping eyes fell on Potter and me, they narrowed turning colder. Like Potter and I would ever harm animals.

"You!" he screeched. "You! You two 'ave murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you both! I'll-I'll—"

"Argus!"

Dumbledore or as I call him, pop-pop, had arrived on the scene, followed by a number of other teachers. In seconds, he had swept past Harry, Ron, and I and detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket.

"Come with me, Argus." he said to Filch. "You, too, Mr. Potter, Miss. Black."

Lockhart stepped forward eagerly.

"My office is nearest, Headmaster - just upstairs - please feel free—"

"Thank you, Gilderoy." said Dumbledore.

The silent crowd parted to let us pass. Lockhart, looking excited and important, hurried after Dumbledore; so did my grandma, Uncle Snape, and Charlie.

As we entered Lockhart's darkened office there was a flurry of movement across the walls; several of the Lockhart's in the pictures dodging out of sight, their hair in rollers. The real Lockhart lit the candles on his desk and stood back. Dumbledore lay Mrs. Norris on the polished surface and began to examine her. Harry and I exchanged tense looks while he sank into a chair outside the pool of candlelight, watching.

The tip of pop-pops long, crooked nose was barely an inch from Mrs. Norris's fur. He was looking at her closely through his half-moon spectacles, his long fingers gently prodding and poking. Professor McGonagall was bent almost as close, her eyes narrowed. Uncle Snape loomed behind them, half in shadow, wearing a most peculiar expression: It was as though he was trying hard not to smile. Charlie and Lockhart were hovering around all of them, making suggestions.

"It was definitely a curse that killed her - probably the Transmogrifian Torture - I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I wasn't there, I know the very counter curse that would have saved her..."

Lockhart's comments were punctuated by Filches dry, racking sobs. He was slumped in a chair by the desk, unable to look at Mrs. Norris, his face in his hands. Much as I detested Filch, I felt horrid that this happened to her, she was his best friend, his family even. He loved her.

Pop-pop was now muttering strange words under his breath and tapping Mrs. Norris with his wand but nothing happened. She continued to look as though she had been recently stuffed.

"...I remember something very similar happening in Ouagadogou." said Lockhart, "A series of attacks, the full story's in my autobiography, I was able to provide the townsfolk with various amulets, which cleared the matter up at once..."

I snapped, "Bloody hell, you tosser, shut up! You fake arsed doppelganger!" Charlie laughed, Uncle gave me a stern look as Grandma held her hand to her chest as if I caused her to have a heart attack like on those muggle shows.

She scoffed, "Juliet Persephone Black, you young lady need to keep that mouth shut." we both knew this was not possible, I would think something then it was already coming out of my mouth.

At last pop-pop straightened up.

"She's not dead, Argus." he said softly.

Lockhart stopped abruptly in the middle of counting the number of murders he had prevented.

"Not dead?" choked Filch, looking through his fingers at Mrs. Norris. "But why's she all - all stiff and frozen?"

"She has been Petrified." said pop-pop "But how, I cannot say..."

"Ask them!" shrieked Filch, turning his blotched and tearstained face to Harry.

"No second year could have done this." said Dumbledore firmly. "It would take Dark Magic of the most advanced—"

"Ask her, we all know she knows those spells!"

Charlie slammed Flitch against the cold stone wall, "She would never, she is as good as they come you old crock!"

I wasn't very surprised he thought it was us, singling me out this was life.

"If I might speak, Headmaster." said Uncle Snape from the shadows.

"Potter and Black may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time." he said, a slight sneer curling his mouth as though he doubted it. "But we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why was he in the upstairs corridor at all? Why wasn't he at the Halloween feast?"

He was singling out Potter, "We were at a Death day party for Sir Nick, you can ask around. Mione, Ronald, Daphne, Avery, and so many ghosts will also tell you we were there." my tone light but firm getting the point across to them.

Charlie stood now against the wall, "Headmaster, we both know she isn't lying. Also yes, she might know these spells and how to do them but she is also not like that, she just wouldn't attack a cat and scribble on walls."

"I agree, young mister Weasley."

Snape looked furious.

So did Filch.

"My cat has been Petrified!" he shrieked, his eyes popping. "I want to see some punishment!"

"We will be able to cure her, Argus." said Dumbledore patiently. "Professor Sprout recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made that will fix Mrs. Norris."

"I'll make it." Lockhart butted in. "I must have done it a hundred times. I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep—"

"Excuse me," said Snape icily. "But I believe I am the Potions master at this school."

There was a very awkward pause when I blurted out, "Lockhart's might kill her if you let him."

Uncle gave me a small smile, as Charlie hid his face, "Sorry, I think things and they come spilling out before I can stop them."

"You both may go." grandmother gave me a kiss to my forehead ushering us from the classroom.

We exit and take to the now chilled halls "Keep the voices to us for now, even in the Wizarding world hearing voices isn't good." I say as he gives me a nod.

I left Harry since I had to head to the dungeons where against the wall was Charlie lying in wait. He hugged me the minute I came within reach it felt so good, he smelled like Hugo boss, a muggle cologne Hermione and I gave him over Christmas.

"You're not sleeping." his rough callused and burned hands traced my face in a worried but loving manor.

I could see Uncle coming and not looking very happy, "I can manage, I must go my Uncle is about to hex you." with that I hurried to my dorm and the safety it gave.

For a few days the school could talk of little else but the attack on Mrs. Norris. Filch kept it fresh in everyone's minds by pacing the spot where she had been attacked, as though he thought the attacker might come back. Harry had seen him scrubbing the message on the wall with Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover, but to no effect; the words still gleamed as brightly as ever on the stone. When Filch wasn't guarding the scene of the crime, he was skulking red-eyed through the corridors, lunging out at unsuspecting students and trying to put them in detention for things like 'breathing loudly' and 'looking happy.'

Ginny seemed very disturbed by Mrs. Norris's fate. We knew she was a great cat lover. So now we all sit in the Garden, I at the very head of the table. Fred, George, and Cedric with us making us so much stronger.

"I want Cho, myself, Luna, Hermione, and Cedric on this, I want information. I am divulging a secret, one I will also be telling Potter, he and I have been hearing voices. But when I cleared my head I came to a conclusion, I am a Parsalmouth. The voice he and I am hearing is a snake, but not a normal one. Potter is also a Parsalmouth."

Ginny gave me a nod of gratitude as Luna hugged her friend close.


	9. Paintings speak

**Hello fellow fanfiction writers and readers, here is another chapter of this story that I hope you guys will enjoy. As usual I own nothing except new characters and ideas, I make no money from writing, and all rights go to the rightful owners. Thanks for reading, please leave a review!**

I sit watching Professor Lupin then back to the ceiling, glancing up in the middle of a deadly dull lecture on the International Warlock Convention of 1289, he looked amazed when Mione shot her hand into the air, this was his first dull lecture I should have stopped him some time ago.

"Miss Granger?"

"Professor, I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets." said Hermione in a clear voice.

Dean Thomas, who had been sitting with his mouth hanging open, gazing out of the window, jerked out of his trance; Lavender's head came up off her arms and Neville's elbow slipped off his desk.

Professor Lupin blinked.

"My subject is History of Magic." he said in his dry, raspy voice. "I deal with facts, Miss Granger, not myths and legends." He cleared his throat with a small noise like chalk slipping and continued, "In September of that year, a subcommittee of Sardinian sorcerers—"

He stuttered to a halt. Hermione's hand was waving in the air again. And as her Uncle I knew he felt the need to answer her, he considered her and myself his cubs.

"Miss Granger?"

"Please, sir, don't legends always have a basis in fact?"

Professor Lupin was looking at her in such amazement at this little sentence.

"Well," said Professor Lupin slowly, "yes, one could argue that, I suppose." He peered at Hermione as though he had never been out smarted before "However, the legend of which you speak is such a very sensational, even ludicrous tale—"

But the whole class was now hanging on Professor Lupins every word. He looked dimly at them all, every face turned to his. It was easy to tell he was completely thrown by such an unusual show of interest.

"Oh, very well." he said slowly. "Let me see... the Chamber of Secrets..." his eyes fell on mine for a minute before moving on, like he was testing the waters.

"You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago - the precise date is uncertain - by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. The four school Houses are named after them: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. They built this castle together, far from prying Muggle eyes, for it was an age when magic was feared by common people, and witches and wizards suffered much persecution."

He paused, gazed around the room, and continued.

"For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprang up between them. A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. After a while, there was a serious argument on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school."

Professor Lupin paused again, pursing his lips, looking like a scared, dangerous man.

"Reliable historical sources tell us this much." he said. "But these honest facts have been obscured by the fanciful legend of the Chamber of Secrets. The story goes that Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other founders knew nothing.

"Slytherin, according to the legend, sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets, unleash the horror within, and use it to purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic."

There was unease in the air as everyone continued to watch him, hoping for more. Professor Lupin looked faintly annoyed since we love his lessons but this was something more.

"The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course." he said. "Naturally, the school has been searched for evidence of such a chamber, many times, by the most learned witches and wizards. It does not exist. A tale told to frighten the gullible."

Hermione's hand was back in the air.

"Sir - what exactly do you mean by the horror within the Chamber?"

"That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the Heir of Slytherin alone can control." said Professor Lupin in his raspy, calm tone.

The class exchanged nervous looks.

"That will do." he said.

I gave Hermione a firm nod as she turned to Lavender, the word would spread. I was about to have a talk with my own ancestors in the Garden.

So here I stood looking at the large framed portrait staring back at me, "Salazar, I need to know the truth about the chamber."

He sighed, "I created an underground cavern, my own place when the troubles overwhelmed me. I know the rumor is I hated muggles, that I placed a monster there to lurk and kill. I was not the one to place it there, one of my pupils brought it from a land far away and we tried to capture it, but alas we failed. It has been killing ever since, it may have been the very first of its kind here in Scotland." great it was not something he knew, but I knew it was a snake in the end.

I sit, 'Someone has opened the chamber once again this time it was just a cat that was petrified, next time we are not going to be as lucky."

The portrait looked gloomy with the news, as my ancestors all looked troubled.


	10. Large, yellow eyes curdle my blood

**Hello fellow fanfiction writers and readers, here is another chapter of this story that I hope you guys will enjoy. As usual I own nothing except new characters and ideas, I make no money from writing, and all rights go to the rightful owners. Thanks for reading, please leave a review!**

The wind was crisp with the not so sudden chill that had taken over the grounds, making our morning workout's that much harder but we endure and push ourselves. Fred and George along with Millie are the ones that surprised me, they kept up with me and even out done me in laps.

We finish early, so I dressed in my uniform. My hair like a damn bird's nest with my emotions depleted so much that caring about my hair was too much to ask. Our research was coming up short, only because we don't have the right access to the library, so today Charlie was going to give me a pass into the restricted section. Cedric was waiting on a few books from his father who was so thrilled about his son's interest in this field.

"Time to go." Daphne being a pureblood was very much used to looking her best at all times, her eyes lingered on my hair as I gave her a side eye.

"I wouldn't say it."

My eyes cold, but a smile cracked on my face as she pursed her lips tighter, her eyes on the slithering snake that rotated like a headband keeping the unruly hair from falling in my face. I walked with the girls my back straight, a cold look plastered to my face, here in Slytherin it was dog eat dog it was better but still ruthless at every turn. I wish that I could be so care free like some Duffers and Griffin's, but some of us were faced or forced into something they didn't quite understand at a very young age, those who did had no choice. We had to fix this, we couldn't just ignore it.

My mind taking over as we walked, to the point that when I snapped out of my thoughts we're walking to the great hall. A few Ravenclaw's and Slytherin's walking with us, no one said a word to me just let me be. They must think I am a freak, it is a miracle that I have any friends at all other than Mione, but maybe if we didn't have a family bond she wouldn't be friends with me either. But then again maybe she would be…I should really stop thinking so negatively.

There she is waving like a manic at me when we enter, I smile bowing my head slightly. She was sitting between Potter and Weasley, the twins and Neville across from her watching and waiting, I doubt Hogwarts is the safest place for us anymore. And I doubt it would get better for a long time, over the years I knew things would get worse. I had to take action. I had to do this for them.

The food was always so delicious; it never was anything but. My eyes left my food before settling on the head table, the teachers all laughing while chit chatting with each other, Charlie looked to be in a very serious conversation with my god father.

"Are you actually going to try and get Hermione that pass?" Avery was shocked since my grandparents already told me and her no, but when faced with a dead end try again.

"Yes." They should know just how persistent I was by now.

That sole reason was why I was waiting near the teacher's door where they would exit from their breakfast. Hiding in the small alcove biding my time like a bat for the right teacher to walk through the doors.

Charlie finally left heading towards the front halls' massive double doors. "Charlie." my voice having to be heard over the louder roar of the students rushing to their first lesson.

He smiled, his eyes lit with a fire even though I was only twelve I knew I was attracted to the older bad boy "Hey there little bit."

This was not a social visit, this was to gain something I wanted "I need a pass to the restricted section, my grandparents have said no. Now if you don't give it to me, Juju will just get it for me but here I am trying to do what's right."

He just had this blank stare, his mouth gapped open "Fine." he pulled the filled-out slip from his back pocket with a smirk "Knew you would be coming my way after your grandparents warned Remus and I not to cave to you. Understand this doesn't come free, a favor for a favor."

"Very Slytherin of you, Charlie. But fine by me." without another word the slip was in my hand and I was heading down the corridor to Potions, my mind reeling; very Slytherin move Charlie, very Slytherin indeed.

The dungeons are colder than any other section of the school the Potions room dimly lit, cold, and smelled something that always bothered me. Hermione is seated with Harry and Ron as I stopped at their shared desk.

"Hey boys, you both look like dung. Mione this is for you." her eyes lit up her emotions hitting me, excitement at the prospect of the new information she would find with the girls and me.

"Your headband, umm, moving…" Harry was pointing at the snake that let a low slow hiss at him.

"Enchanted."

But with those words Uncle walked in with a look of such distain at the sight of Harry and I chatting, he was such a noob.

 **Hermione's point of view…**

Now was the best time right before the big Quidditch game, only having a few minutes to spare, Daphne with me using her mirror to check for any un-wanted attention. But she and I had to be at that match, Slytherin vs Gryffindor were the best matches.

"Hurry Hermione, we don't have time to gloss over any books." her tone sharp as her ice blue eyes matched the same emotion in my own cinnamon brown ones.

I jabbed, "Does it bloody look like I am skimming for a good read. Just keep watch!" we had permission but then again not for this section this was a teacher's section, not for students.

My mind going a mile a minute, either with worry for Juliet or worry for Harry, his world had been turned upside down. Half the school thinks he is actually the heir of Slytherin, the other half thinks Juliet because she outed herself as a Parsalmouth to try and help Harry out. But it just evened the rumors out, but she just held her head high while Harry sunk into the shadows.

A thud, then another was heard as Daphne grasped my arm "Something is coming, maybe Hagrid since it sounds massive. Get the book because we have to leave, now." she was a formidable witch, we drew our wands as a precaution, using the mirror.

Large yellowish green speckled cold eyes stared back at us….


	11. My friends, my vengeance

**Hello fellow fanfiction writers and readers, here is another chapter of this story that I hope you guys will enjoy. As usual I own nothing except new characters and ideas, I make no money from writing, and all rights go to the rightful owners. Thanks for reading, please leave a review!**

I pulled on my Slytherin Quidditch robe as Avery held my polished Nimbus 2001. We have a match against Gryffindor today; one I would make sure to win. Not because of house pride but because I was pissy at Potter for not taking his studying seriously.

Pansy, Millie, and Avery wait for me since Avery was up early and in the showers while I was reading in my bed seeing Daphne must have gotten an early start this morning since her bed was devoid of life.

Pansy snorted. "Let's go since I will have to freeze my rear off cheering for you lot." she was never a fan, but she was a good friend, so she and the girls will sit in the stands and cheer for us. Draco was on the team as a Seeker, he was good but not Harry Potter good. The point was to score so that them inevitably catching the snitch would not affect us as much.

I just walked out heading down the winding staircase towards the common room which was now filled with chatting Slytherin's all excited for the upcoming match. I was worried a little not seeing Hermione after dinner, but I figured she was off kissing the twins in some lone alcove, and that had me feeling ill once again.

Nott smiled, "You going to get us that win?"

I retorted, "Draco better make sure to get the snitch before Potter, or keep Potter preoccupied in a friendly manner. We will not cheat to win." this was now a rule before they cheated and used brute strength to win games by knocking other players out cold.

Zabini held his hands up in surrender, "You heard the Queen, now boys let's get to the Great Hall." he was funny for being in Slytherin, but he knew when to stop and act like a pure-blood arrogant prince. That was it we all started going our separate ways heading to the great hall, I walked with my friends from the Dungeons to the warmer corridors above us. It smelled of cooked bacon and kippers, Potter and his ginger sidekick Ron are a few people a head of us, but I don't see Hermione or Daphne anywhere in sight, maybe they're in the Garden trying to avoid the game.

I asked, "Have you seen Hermione?" Lavender just gave me a look before shaking her head.

"We will go find her after we eat, probably in the Garden." Ginny laughed before talking her seat.

I sit at the Slytherin table as we talk in animated voices about the game, others just looked ill from having to hear this conversation. Pansy just sits eating with nowhere to go where the big game is not on their lips.

Pansy perked up, "I overheard your Grandfather, Head Master Dumbledore, talking to Professor Snape and Flitwick. Next year we're getting four new students from America and four of our own are leaving to exchange places for some overseas exchange program. I heard a single student from each house will transfer for a single year, but it will be based off a written essay." this was news.

"I have no desire to go but this is news, having some new blood from the states might be fun." I was sure it was a good thing but again we wouldn't know until next year.

I looked over the Slytherin table seeing Gail, she would be a good fit for transfer, she was smart and loved traveling. "Get this news to Gail she would never pass the chance up, we will make sure she is chosen to go to America if she wishes."

Pansy smiled moving to sit with her friends Gail and Sara which also got her away from our game day chat.

The sun was up but it was chilly as I secured my Quidditch robe before walking into our personal tent as we readied ourselves to walk out and take the field.

I felt ill like something was wrong "Avery, something isn't right. I have a feeling and it isn't good."

Draco gave me un-easy look, "You alright Juliet?"

I gave him a no without saying a word before I peeked from the tent seeing my grandfather walking in a haste to our tent as Grandmother was walking to the castle with Potter and Weasley.

"Avery lets go something is wrong." we just passed our brooms to Draco leaving the tent my goal was to meet Grandfather halfway.

His face is wracked with worry as he spots us coming. "My poppet, Hermione and Miss. Greengrass have been petrified. We located them in the Library early this morning, come now." his tone was calm and controlled as my rage and fear spiked.

I turned, "Garden, twenty minutes." Avery gave a grim nod turning tale and bolting for the pitch.

 _Game over_.

I left my Grandfather taking to the stairs heading to the castle, every nerve on fire the magic like a current running over my skin. Charlie was waiting by the double doors to the Ward where Madam Pomfrey would be fussing over any in her care.

Charlie just walked in behind me, there in bed's next to each other was Daphne with her long blonde hair, her skin cold and hard to the touch, and my Hermione with her bushy hair and chocolate eyes that are vacant with her hand out stretched.

"How long until the Mandrakes are ready?"

It was Uncle who spoke with his hand on my shoulder, "Days." with that I lost control my magic lashing out sending him back, and any behind me which turned out to be Professor Lupin and Blackheart.

Potter and Weasley just look sad as I stormed from the ward tears leaking form my eyes, she wasn't dead, Daphne wasn't dead, but they looked as if they were.

I moved to the Library heading to the garden knowing they would be waiting, and I was right each one was there, even the twins. I spoke. "Go to the ward now." they never hesitated; leaving as fast as they could.

"We all understand there is a monster lurking in this school, now it has taken two of our own. I know it is a snake but what type is unknown." 

We just had to piece together the clues.

The next morning Potter rushed to me, "Hagrid opened the chamber, it was him." this was utter bloody crap.

"Potter, are you a nutter? Hagrid is not an heir to Slytherin, we know it's a snake and Hagrid can't control them. So, let me just shut you down on that." I snarled shoving passed him; Hagrid was a little puppy.

I was just angry, my Grandfather stood tall. "All students will return to their House common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities." I would not be listening, and no one was going to stop me from finding out where the Chamber was, in fact the Portrait in the Garden was about to tell me. Salazar had been absent from his painting for three days and it was time for him to return or else, let's say Hermione meant more to me than some painting.


	12. Lucius: nothing but a hair model

**New Chapter! Thank you for reading and please drop a review. I own nothing, and no money is being made.**

 **Juliet point of view.**

I quickened my pace heading towards Hagrid's hut; Uncle Snape alerted me Fudge and Lord Malfoy had arrived to take Hagrid and order a suspension for Pop-pop, who was the best headmaster this school would ever see.

Avery seethed, "That hair model is boiling my blood."

I grinned, "That he is." Lord Malfoy was a waste of power and if I ever found a way to strip his power and manifest it in a Muggle, by damned I would. The hill was steep, but we made decent time.

I snapped, "Expulso." my wand moving the mist of red shot from the tip, ten feet in front of us Hagrid's door exploded sending wood in every direction. On the floor when we walked in are Fudge, Pop-pop, and Malfoy; the spell was not powerful just enough to give a grand entrance.

In the corner before it vanished was a shoe, seems Potter is here with that cloak of his, maybe he will let me have a go at it.

I smiled, "Ahh, so what do we owe the honor of your presence Minister Fudge?" I eyed him, he was a sad little pawn in the greater game.

He gave me a stern look, "Good evening, Lady Black; the honor is all mine. We are here on sad business."

"My dear Miss Black, you're out after hours." pop was not thrilled, but he looked at me with his twinkling blue eyes conveying danger.

"I am very sorry Headmaster, but as Lady Black and this being a Ministry matter I do retain special privileges. Lord Malfoy, you are by far lucky I cannot stop Hagrid from being taken, but Fudge would be wise to hinder and allow him to be questioned by Shacklebot who has a better and uncondescending manner than you. Now, on to the real reason you came." I stood toe to toe with the older man. I have been trained from day one to act like this, to know my worth and my place in not only Pureblood society but also in the Grand Wizengamot, a higher faction than the Wizengamot who like us predate the Ministry of Magic itself.

Lucius Malfoy, sneering as he looked around the small cabin. "I simply called at the school and was told that the headmaster was here."

"And what exactly did you want with me, Lucius?" said Pop-pop. He spoke politely, but the fire was still blazing in his blue eyes.

"Dreadful thing, Dumbledore," said Malfoy lazily, taking out a long roll of parchment, "but the governors feel it's time for you to step aside. This is an Order of Suspension—you'll find all twelve signatures on it. I'm afraid we feel you're losing your touch. How many attacks have there been now? Two more this afternoon, wasn't it? At this rate, there'll be no Muggle-borns left at Hogwarts, and we all know what an awful loss that would be to the school."

"Oh, now, see here, Lucius," said Fudge, looking alarmed, "Dumbledore suspended—no, no— the last thing we want just now…"

"The appointment—or suspension—of the headmaster is a matter for the governors, Fudge," said Mr. Malfoy smoothly. "And as Dumbledore has failed to stop these attacks—"

"See here, Malfoy, if Dumbledore can't stop them." said Fudge, whose upper lip was sweating now, "I mean to say, who can?"

"That remains to be seen," said Mr. Malfoy with a nasty smile. "But as all twelve of us have voted—"

"If the governors want my removal, Lucius, I shall, of course, step aside—"

"But—" stuttered Fudge.

"No!" growled Hagrid.

Dumbledore had not taken his bright blue eyes off Lucius Malfoy's cold gray ones.

"However," said Dumbledore, speaking very slowly and clearly so that none of them could miss a word, "you will find that I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it." Avery and I watched as pop 's eyes flickered to the corner where I saw Potters shoe, maybe the cloak is not my thing after all.

I sighed, "Minister Fudge, I think on the best interest of the school my grandmother be left in charge in favor of a Governor being brought in, no doubt the esteemed Lord Malfoy would leap for the chance. Doubt this school would be looked at with the awe-inspiring manner it has over Headmaster Dumbledore's reign if you put a second rate acquitted Death Eater in charge. I as Lady Black will have each Governor questioned under Veritaserum, and order Lord Malfoy from them for forty-eight hours."

Malfoy lost his calm demeanor, "You will need a four Lords or Lady's to sign the parchment."

"No, I need a single one. What you seem to forget is, I am head of the Grand Wizengamot, my families name and I as Lady Black count as two votes and if I get Lady Longbottom to sign she also counts as two. History is important, Potter, myself, and Longbottom are the only ones who's vote count as two. Juju!" my tone sharp he liked the title well enough and the perks that came with it, but knowing the complicated history was essential.

Juju appeared at my side, "Mistress?" worried seeing the situation she popped into was a little worrying.

"Bring me Lady Augusta Longbottom at once, please." trying in all my anger to control my temper in front of the older men, if I acted foolishly and child like they would eat me alive.

Fudge pulled the parchment out, writing on it until he handed it over, it was placed with a spell. "My dearest," but Pop-pop was interrupted by Augusta Longbottom looking somewhat dishearten in her dressing gown, she pulled on her robe giving us all a stern look.

"Lady Black, I would know your elf anywhere. You will be in dire straits if you do not have a viable reason to have Juju drag me here." Neville is going to love hearing this.

I spoke, "Lady Longbottom, look around you. I feel you will be of great assistance to this meeting. Hermione was attacked and as you know in a frozen state, but we are working on it currently. I asked for your presence to sign a form in regard to Lord Malfoy. He has gotten the other twelve governors to sign the parchment for a suspension of the Headmaster. Now I feel this seems a little out of place and would require each governor be questioned under Veritaserum a little harsh but with it also adding in Lord Malfoy would be barred from corresponding in any way shape or form,"

"Right you are, where do I sign? Who will be left in charge? I would gather it be Minerva."

Fudge sighed, "It will be, Augusta."

Malfoy was bowing. "We shall all miss your—er—highly individual way of running things, Albus, and only hope that your successor will manage to prevent any—ah—'killin's. Lady Black till we meet again."

He strode to the cabin door, opened it and bowed Dumbledore out. Fudge, fiddling with his bowler, waited for Hagrid to go ahead of him, but Hagrid stood his ground, took a deep breath and said carefully/ "If anyone wanted to find out some stuff, all they'd have to do would be to follow the spiders. That'd lead 'em right! That's all I'm saying."

Fudge stared at him in amazement, in fact, so were Avery and I as Juju popped Augusta home.

"All right, I'm coming," said Hagrid, pulling on his moleskin overcoat. But as he was about to follow Fudge through the door, he stopped again and thundered, "An' someone needs to feed Fang while I'm away."

"We're in trouble now." Avery sighed when Potter and Weasley appeared in the very corner we knew they were hiding in.

I stated, "You follow the spiders and get back to me; I have work to do."


	13. Greater Good

**Hello, here is another chapter. It isn't Betaed but she will look it over when she is better, but I wanted to get it out today. Please review!**

Summer was creeping over the grounds around the castle; sky and lake alike turned periwinkle blue and flowers large as cabbages burst into bloom in the greenhouses. But with no Hagrid visible from the castle windows, striding the grounds with Fang at his heels, the scene didn't look right to us; no better, in fact, than the inside of the castle, where things were so horribly wrong. The Guild in small numbers tried to visit Hermione, the twins in a state of panic on a near constant base, but visitors were now barred from the hospital wing.

Even myself.

"We're taking no more chances," Madam Pomfrey told us severely through a crack in the infirmary door. "No, I'm sorry, there's every chance the attacker might come back to finish these people off . . ."

I snarled, "You dare question my intentions, that is my bloody sister laying helpless in that bed. I suggest you talk to the Headmistress because if I am turned away by tonight this door will be blown back to Merlin himself," my rage evident even with the slight hitch in my voice.

With Dumbledore gone, fear had spread as never before, so that the sun warming the castle walls outside seemed to stop at the mullioned windows. There was barely a face to be seen in the school that didn't look worried and tense, and any laughter that rang through the corridors sounded shrill and unnatural and was quickly stifled.

Daphne spoke, "This is just a small touch of what is yet to come,"

I saw the twins talking to Ronald and Potter with Ginny close, we just make our way to them, Avery growling in frustration. "Potter, you talk to the spiders?" I asked he looked dreadful, his skin paler and his hair like a rats nest.

"Not as easy, we can't find them,"

He was dense, " Try looking at night look towards the Forbidden Forest," with those words said in such a condescending tone we left them, the twins following us along with Ginny.

Ginny sighed, "They really need to get their priorities straight," she was right Harry was this chosen one without a clue, he needed training not just Hermione and luck.

I was already up, "Hurry up, I've got to take you all to Herbology," barked Uncle Snape over the class's heads, and off they marched.

The Herbology class was very subdued; there were now two missing from their number, Justin, and Hermione. Slytherin and Gryffindor are mixed together, I am paired with Harry, Draco had Lavender and she knew he was in the Guild.

Professor Sprout set them all to work pruning the Abyssinian Shrivelfigs. Harry and I, went to tip an armful of withered stalks onto the compost heap and found ourselves face-to-face with Ernie Macmillan. Ernie took a deep breath and said, very formally, "I just want to say, Harry and Juliet, that I'm sorry I ever suspected either of you lot. I know you'd never attack Hermione, and I apologize for all the stuff I said. We're all in the same boat now, and, well -"

He held out a pudgy hand, and Harry shook it.

"Not a chance, Macmillan. You should watch yourself, Potter is more forgiving than me. Hannah," who had just come up to the same Shrivelfig as us, we embraced.

"That Draco Malfoy character," said Ernie, breaking off dead twigs, "he seems very pleased about all this, doesn't he? D'you know, I think he might be Slytherin's heir."

"That's clever of you," said Ron, who didn't seem to have forgiven Ernie as readily as Harry.

"Do you think it's Malfoy, Harry?" Ernie asked.

"No," said Harry, so firmly that Ernie and Hannah stared.

I interjected, "No, the Malfoys came from Iceland long ago. Slytherin was from Austria and Draco knows his family tree and would be blubbering it from the top of the Astronomy tower if he was long before these attacks," but I knew if any found out I was the heir all eyes would be on me.

A second later, Harry spotted something but I made no move to follow him nor Ronald.

Hannah stayed close but only to keep my temper down with Ernie near. He crossed a line with Potter spouting off at the mouth about Potter being able to speak Parseltongue. In a rage I let it out in a dramatic way that not only was I a Slytherin, but I was better at it than Potter, making eyes turn to me.

My most hated class, Lockhart bounded into the room and the class stared at him. Every other teacher in the place was looking grimmer than usual, but Lockhart appeared nothing short of buoyant.

"Come now," he cried, beaming around him. "Why all these long faces?"

People swapped exasperated looks, but nobody answered.

"Don't you people realize," said Lockhart, speaking slowly, as though we were all a bit dim, "the danger has passed! The culprit has been taken away -"

"Says who?" said Dean Thomas loudly.

"My dear young man, the Minister of Magic wouldn't have taken Hagrid if he hadn't been one hundred percent sure that he was guilty," said Lockhart, in the tone of someone explaining that one and one made two.

"Oh, yes he would," said Ron, even more loudly than Dean.

"I flatter myself I know a touch more about Hagrid's arrest than you do, Mr. Weasley," said Lockhart in a self-satisfied tone.

Ron started to say that he didn't think so, somehow, but stopped in midsentence so I cut in. "No, Lockhart you do not. I was there they took Hagrid as a precaution not because he was the culprit. You are a fraud by all means and a terrible Professor, you are rather ugly as well,"

But Lockhart's disgusting cheeriness, his hints that he had always thought Hagrid was no good, his confidence that the whole business was now at an end, irritated I just stare him in his eyes.

It was getting late as Avery and I dodged teachers with the twins, we are going to give Potter and Weasley a little cover by causing a distraction. The medical ward stood in front of us, I gave one single knock seeing Madam Pomphrey in her sleeping gown looking annoyed and worried "Miss. Black, you are out after hours,"

"I said I was coming back to see my sister, now here I am. Are you going to let me in?"

"I know you would not harm her, but my rules stand. NO visitors,"

I sighed, "I am going to end up expelled before my seventh year and have to go to school in the bloody states," she was already moving from the door knowing Avery and the twins have already placed a shield over the occupied beds allowed me to let a little anger out.

My Aunt attacked, Hermione attacked, pop-pop is gone, Hagrid gone in Azkaban. I snarled, "Bombarda Maxima," the words like ice as the door splintered as it exploded making an ear-shattering noise that would bring every teacher running. But in the aftermath no one was hurt, Madam Pomphrey was scared but not harmed, she just gave me a stern look.

"The rate you're going you will be expelled,"

We had a minute at most before they arrived wands drawn, Hermione lay there so still and pale, frozen in fear. "Soon Hermione, very soon," I whispered as the twins held her cold frozen hands when like I thought they came rushing in.

My Grandmother just sighed, "I should have known,"

"I warned her, I wanted to see Hermione and in no way should I have been denied entry to her," I played the part but I was now sure they escaped the castle and followed the spiders.

Uncle Snape spat, "Three days detention with me Miss. Black and Miss. Nightshade, ten house points from you all," I shrugged. "Get to bed now," he seethed.

I hated when he was here, he acted so cruelly all the time, so much anger but when at home on the Holidays he was so opposite. "Of course, we got what we wanted in the end. Come we should let them go about their business," I smirked walking from the room with the three friends behind me.

Fred asked, "You think it worked?"

George answered, "I think the ministry heard the noise and are coming, they got out brother of mine," but I felt their worry of Hermione and they felt mine, but soon the Mandrakes will be done.

Avery laughed, "Your Uncle is bleeding pissed at your latest fak up,"

"Yeah,"

But in the end, it was for the greater good.


	14. Juliet 2, Dark Lord 0

The halls are filled with nervous chatter; every student scared of what lurks around taking fellow students out. Slytherin's, for the most part, are not, All take of Harry being the heir has vanished he would never hurt Hermione and the fact I also spoke parseltongue saved his arse. But now they all look at me with worried eyes all filled with fear; I was the heir to Slytherin and the other house's. But I their frantic, scared minds I was the Heir to Slytherin, sending a beast to take them out, only a few outside of my circle thought I was innocent, I would die before hurting Hermione. Ginny, bless her touched my shoulder. "Don't fret; we know the truth," "It bothers me they think it is a Slytherin doing such vile acts, any work I thought I had done to build bridges has not worked," Hannah snapped out, "It bloody well has, fak these wankers. You do what you must those close to you know what is in your heart," she was right, she was a foul mouth, but she was right. "Potter and Weasel are waiting, sorry Gin," Avery added but Ginny had a strained relationship with her older brother. "I will be right back," all I could do was head over to the two boys who wore many marks, guess following the bloody spiders was not the best idea, but better them than me. I stood "And?" "Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets," said Harry. "He was innocent." "Anything useful, this I already knew," I was a hormonal twelve-year-old girl, they better talk or get out of my way. "Follow the spiders," said Ron weakly, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "I'll never forgive Hagrid. We're lucky to be alive." "I bet he thought Aragog wouldn't hurt friends of his," said Harry. "That's exactly Hagrid's problem!" said Ron, thumping the corridor wall "He always thinks monsters aren't as bad as they're made out and look where it's got him! A cell in Azkaban!" He was shivering uncontrollably now. "What was the point of sending us in there? What have we found out, Id like to know?" Harry spoke low, "The girl died in a bathroom, that's all," I let my fist fly, the throbbing pain in my knuckles was well worth the bloody nose Weasel had. "You are small minded; Hagrid has a heart big enough for animals and humans. To see the good in anything even when it has a bad reputation, like Dragons. Thank you, Potter, what little information you gave was needed," I left them there dumbfounded making my way to my friends. "The Second-floor girls' lavatory, more commonly known as Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom, we are going to go have a little chat," every single one just looked ready to bolt. Millicent piped up, "Should we all go, might be too much for the girl," Milli had a point. I looked around, "Cho, Luna, and Daphne with me might want to save us some brekkie." Everyone who could will avoid this loo, she was a dreadful snot of a ghost. Yes, she leads an abysmal life here, bullying caused her to die the beast was only the giver of death. I called out, "Myrle Warren," Like that she was floating in front of us, "Oh it's you," like I was such a vile person and maybe I was to her. I spoke up, "I Lady Black apologize for my rude behavior, in death, you should have the peace you were not granted in life. Luna here has also been subject to bullying in Ravenclaw. Now, you know deep down I am against it and have been trying to unit the houses against a force of evil as we have yet to see. You died in this very bathroom," Her eyes had hesitated even behind her glasses when Cho spoke, "I also would like to offer my apologies. Our house is wise, but also in that sediment, we are vain and relentless, our house members belittled you and were in our opinion a key factor in your death for if you had not been hiding here, you would not have died. Lady Black is looking into honoring you," 'Ooooh, it was dreadful, it happened right in here. I'd hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. The door was locked, and I was crying, and then I heard somebody come in. They said something funny, a different language; I think it must've been. Anyway, what got me was that it was a boy speaking. So I unlocked the door to tell him to go and use his toilet, and then... I died." I was genuinely concerned, "Did it hurt?" "It was like going to sleep," Avery chimed in, "At least Mione didn't feel anything," "This beast attacked my sister Hermione Granger; I know it is a Basilisk. You said a boy was in here now why would he be?" I thought Luna and Cho did the very same as Avery was chatting with the ghost. "Damn it; we have to go. If you don't show they might think you have tried to blow up half the bloody school," I turned to Myrle. "I promise your death will not be in vain, somehow I will make it right," and I would in some way. I walked head high into Transfiguration, "Sorry I am late, I was, I was," coming up with nothing under the stern glare of my grandmother. Avery chimed in, "Not plotting to blow the Hospital wing up again that is for sure," but we take our seats, and nothing more is said about our delay. The exams are a week away, not that I mind but Hermione would be very upset she missed them, exams are like Christmas for her. "Professor Dumbledore's instructions were to keep the school running as normally as possible, she said. "And that, I need hardly point out, means finding out how much you have learned this year. "But Hermione will miss them; you know how she loves her Exams. She will be upset," something like torment was hidden in my tone as Grandmother gave me a soft look. Harry seemed to look down at the pair of white rabbits he was supposed to be turning into slippers. What had he learned so far this year? Nothing from what I have seen. He couldn't seem to think of anything that would be useful for an exam. Ron looked as though he'd just been told he had to go and live in the Forbidden Forest. Ron thankfully got a brand-new wand, and it fit him better if he was Harry's friend he at least needed a functional wand. Three days before their first exam, Professor McGonagall made another announcement at breakfast. "I have good news," she said, and the Great Hall, instead of falling silent, erupted. "Dumbledore's coming back!" several people yelled joyfully, yes he was, but that wasn't released yet. "You've caught the Heir of Slytherin!" squealed a girl at the Ravenclaw table, her eyes touched mine for a small moment before she yelped looking away. "Quidditch matches are back on!" roared Wood excitedly. When the uproar had subsided, Professor McGonagall said, "Professor Sprout has informed me that the Mandrakes are ready for cutting at last. Tonight, we will be able to revive those people who have been Petrified. I need hardly remind you all that one of them may well be able to tell us who, or what attacked them. I am hopeful that this dreadful year will end with our catching the culprit." I smiled, Hermione would be here, and everything would be back to normal. My mind could not stay on track, "The entrance to the Chamber is in the loo, why else would some random boy be lurking in there with a Basilisk," Avery and Millie gave me a grave look. "Well now guess studying is off the plans, we are taking a trip," Daphne sighed in a way only she could, light and airy but smart and sophisticated as well. I walked with Susan Bones, Avery, Ginny, and Cho while the rest kept watch. It was pivotal we at least try and warn a teacher. But the bell to signal break never came. Instead, echoing through the corridors came Grandmothers voice, magically magnified. "All students to return to their House dormitories at once. All teachers return to the staff room. Immediately, please. " I felt coldness and dread, "Another attack and this time, either they were taken or killed," low and horrified my voice echoed around the small space as Avery tossed Weasel down, Susan had Potter in her grasp. "Of course," We cringe listening to the rumbling of hundreds of people moving overhead, and the staff room door banging open. From between the musty folds of the cloaks, they watched the teachers filtering into the room. Some of them were looking puzzled, others downright scared. Then Professor McGonagall arrived. "It has happened," she told the silent staff room. "A student has been taken by the monster. Right into the Chamber itself." Professor Flitwick let out a squeal. Professor Sprout clapped her hands over her mouth. Snape gripped the back of a chair very hard and said, "How can you be sure?" "The Heir of Slytherin," said Professor McGonagall, who was very white, "left another message. Right underneath the first one. `Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever." Professor Flitwick burst into tears. "Who is it?" said Madam Hooch, who had sunk, weak-kneed, into a chair. "Which student?" " Hecate Oakham, first year Hufflepuff," said Professor McGonagall. She was such a sweetheart, always friendly to everyone, her brown eyes seemed to glow amber, her hair chestnut brown it fell in thick waves down her back. "I am sorry Sue," "We shall have to send all the students home tomorrow," said Professor McGonagall. "This is the end of Hogwarts. Dumbledore always said. . ." my heart was racing, they couldn't close the school this was my home. The staffroom door banged open again. "So sorry - dozed off - what have I missed?" He didn't seem to notice that the other teachers were looking at him with something remarkably like hatred. Uncle Snape stepped forward. "Just the man," he said. "The very man. A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself. Your moment has come at last." Lockhart blanched. "That's right, Gilderoy," chipped in Professor Sprout. "Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?" "I - well, I -"sputtered Lockhart. "Yes, didn't you tell me you were sure you knew what was inside it?" piped up Professor Flitwick. "D-did I? I don't recall -" "I certainly remember you saying you were sorry you hadn't had a crack at the monster before Hagrid was arrested," said Uncle Snape. "Didn't you say that the whole affair had been bungled and that you should have been given free rein from the first?" Lockhart stared around at his stony-faced colleagues. "I - I never - you may have misunderstood -" "We'll leave it to you, then, Gilderoy," said Professor McGonagall. "Tonight will be an excellent time to do it. We'll make sure everyone's out of your way. You'll be able to tackle the monster all by yourself. A free rein at last." The sarcasm dripped like a faucet from Grandmothers tone. Lockhart gazed desperately around him, but nobody came to the rescue. His lip was trembling, and in the absence of his usually toothy grin, he looked weak-chinned and feeble. "Very well," he said. "I'll - I'll be in my office, getting ready." And he left the room. He was going to pack and vanish like the weak, useless scum he was. "Right," said Grandmother, whose nostrils were flared like they normally do, "that's got him out from under our feet. The Heads of Houses should go and inform their students what has happened. Tell them the Hogwarts Express will take them home first thing tomorrow. Will the rest of you please make sure no students have been left outside their dormitories." The teachers rose and left, one by one. I stood looking at Uncle as he strode in, paler than usual. " Hecate Oakham was taken tonight, a pureblood. The school has come to a close, and you will be transported home first thing in the morning. Pack your belongings now, once done Juliet Black call on Juju to take you tonight. I will be back to make sure it has been done," Like bloody hell, once he was gone, I called my best elf friend, "juju," She was beaming at me, her large green eyes shining. "I need you to tell Uncle Sev in thirty minutes you have dropped me at the estate. I know we hate lying, but the heir has taken a girl, and I feel it deep down that I must help," "You will do great things, Little Mistress, I will do it," with no sound she was gone. "We can't all just leave," Pansy was right, her slight frame was tense with fear. "I am going alone, and none will follow me. You each will be checked on by Uncle, and if any disappear, it will be a small red flag to him. I covered myself for a small amount of time because he will check on me at the Manor," each girl looked at me like I was out of my mind and right now it was very likely I was, but they saw some logic as they agreed one by one. I walked through the Garden not but ten minutes later, wand in hand, I was scared, but life was hanging in the balance. "Good luck," "Thank you, and also thank your husband for allowing a massive snake in the castle. Men don't think," "A life lesson you learned very early," Helga smiled down at me, but soon the tunnel emerges that would lead me to the library. It was not easy to move around with many teachers watching the halls wands drawn, ready and waiting for another attack. I walked into the bathroom seeing Myrle sitting on the sink, "Hello Myrle, a young girl was taken," "I know, I watched her come in her eyes glossed over she was not her normal self," "Did you try and stop her?" Myrle glided through the circular sinks, "Of course, but it was as if she was in a trance," "Where is it?" she eyes the sterling silver sinks, so I move lower on a single one was an engraved snake. "Oh nice, he hid his chamber in a girl's loo," we would have words. "Open" Except that the words weren't what I heard; a strange hissing had escaped me, and at once the tap glowed with brilliant white light and began to spin. Next second, the sink began to move; the sink, in fact, sank, right out of sight, leaving a large pipe exposed, a pipe wide enough for me to slide into. "well nice knowing you," are my last words as I dropped down, but her voice rang clear as if she was next to me. "If you die you can share my toilet," Oh Merlin please let me live through this. It was like rushing down an endless, slimy, dark slide. As I passed them, I could see more pipes branching off in all directions, but none as significant as the one I am shooting down, which twisted and turned, sloping steeply downward, and even I knew that I was falling deeper below the school than even the dungeons. And then, just as I had begun to worry about what would happen when I finally hit the ground, the pipe leveled out, and shooting out of the end with a wet thud, landing on the damp floor of a dark stone tunnel large enough to stand in. I clambered to my feet; I was dirty my knees bleeding. "Oh right as rain," was muttered into the void. Squinting around at the dark, slimy walls. I stare into the darkness ahead. "Lumos!" I had knew fear, and this was still new, I am walking to my death over a girl I only knew in passing, but she was a good person, and I was going to try and save her. Eyes as narrow as I could make them and still see, edging forward, wand held high without a trance of my fear. The light slid over a gigantic snakeskin, of a vivid, poisonous green, lying curled and empty across the tunnel floor. The creature that had shed it must have been twenty feet long at least if not more. "It shed," I refused to stop; the skin would be looked at a later date. I crept around yet another bend, seeing a solid wall ahead on which two entwined serpents were carved, their eyes set with magnificent, glinting emeralds. My throat was parched. There was no need to pretend these stone snakes were real; their eyes looked strangely alive, a charm to scare and entice. A low hiss escaped my lips, the emerald eyes of the twin serpents glowed in front of me. The reptiles moved from each other while the walls moved out of sight, I walked forward my wand still out. A very long, dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpents rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long, black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place. It was stunning in a creepy way it was probably even more remarkable when Salazar was here. The hollow eye sockets of the stone snakes seemed to be following my every move. More than once, with a jolt of the stomach, thinking I saw one stir. Then, as I drew level with the last pair of pillars, a statue high as the Chamber itself loomed into view, standing against the back wall. Being smaller had me crane my neck to look up into the giant face above: It was ancient and monkeyish, with a long, thin beard that fell almost to the bottom of the wizard's sweeping stone robes, where two enormous gray feet stood on the smooth Chamber floor. And between the feet, face down, lay a small, black-robed figure with chestnut brown hair. "Hecate," I whispered when footfalls echoed behind me, I didn't lower my wand seeing Potter looking at the same statue. "Keep your wand out while I get Hecate," He nodded, his eyes slit nearly closed. I picked Hecate up; I could carry her some but not all the way, I set her back down needing to get Harry to help me. Her face was white as marble and as cold, yet her eyes were closed, so she wasn't Petrified. But then she must be "Hecate, please wake up," muttering desperately, shaking her. Hecate's head lolled hopelessly from side to side. "She won't wake," said a soft voice. I snarled, "Who the bloody hell are you?" his eyes linger over my robes giving a slight nod of approval. A tall, black-haired boy was leaning against the nearest pillar, watching. He was strangely blurred around the edges, as though we were looking at him through a misted window. But there was no mistaking him. "Tom - Tom Riddle?" Harry stuttered. Riddle nodded, not taking his eyes off Harry's face. "What d'you mean, she won't wake?" Harry said desperately. "She's not - she's not -?" "She's still alive," said Riddle. "But only just." Harry stared at him. Tom Riddle had been at Hogwarts fifty years ago I remember hearing about him, yet here he stood, a weird, misty light shining about him, not a day older than sixteen. "Are you a ghost?" Harry said uncertainly. "A memory," my voice was tense as my wand was raised. "How am I not surprised you lot seem to know each other. Can't manage to stay out of trouble Saint Potter," "Preserved in a diary for fifty years," Riddle smirked. I smirked back, "A diary, you sissy," he pointed toward the floor near the statue's giant toes. Lying open there was the little black diary. "You are?" Riddle spoke to me once again, but his attention was more Harry then myself. "Lady Juliet Black," "A noble and ancient house, much like my own," Riddle never rang a bell, "I am not in the mood for trivial matters," Harry cut in, "You've got to help me, Tom," Harry said, raising Hecate's head again. "We've got to get her out of here. There's a basilisk ... I don't know where it is, but it could be at any moment... Please, help me," he was naive. A smile curled the corners of Riddle's mouth. He continued to stare at Harry, twirling the wand idly. "Listen," said Harry urgently. "We've got to go! If the basilisk comes -" "It won't come until it is called," said Riddle calmly. "What d'you mean?" he said Riddle's smile broadened. Harry stared at him. "Potter, you idiot. You can't go around trusting everything; this is dark magic," "You would know," "More than you on your best day," "Potter, he is the one controlling Hecate to open the chamber, he is feeding off her soul it makes him stronger. This is ancient dark magic. Hecate thought he was a friend and told him everything from her loves to fears letting him grow stronger," Yes," said Riddle, calmly. "Of course, she didn't know what she was doing at first. It was very amusing. I wish you could have seen her new diary entries ... far more interesting, they became ... Dear Tom," he recited, watching Harry's horrified face, "I think I'm losing my memory. There are rooster feathers all over my robes and I don't know how they got there. Dear Tom, l can't remember what I did on the night of Halloween, but a cat was attacked and I've got paint all down my front. Dear Tom, Cedric keeps telling me I'm pale and I'm not myself. I think he suspects me... There was another attack today and I don't know where I was. Tom, what am I going to do? I think I'm going mad... I think I'm the one attacking everyone, Tom!" Harry's fists were clenched, as I held my wand up ready when this went down. "it took a very long time for stupid little Hecate to stop trusting her diary," said Riddle. "But she finally became suspicious and tried to dispose of it. And that's where you came in, Harry. You found it, and I couldn't have been more delighted. Of all the people who could have picked it up, it was you, the very person I was most anxious to meet . . . ." "And why did you want to meet me?" said Harry. Anger was coursing through him it rang in his voice. "Well, you see, Hecate told me all about you, Harry," said Riddle. "Your whole fascinating history. " His eyes roved over the lightning scar on Harry's forehead, and their expression grew hungrier. "I knew I must find out more about you, talk to you, meet you if I could. So I decided to show you my famous capture of that great oaf, Hagrid, to gain your trust -" "Hagrid's my friend and a great wizard," "And you framed him, didn't you? I thought you made a mistake, but -" Riddle laughed his high laugh again. As we talk Hecate is in far greater danger, I gave in, never would I risk harm to her. "Juju," Riddle looked at me like I had grown another head, but then he saw the small elf at my side. "Get Hecate out of here," "Protego," I cast shielding Juju while she lifted the helpless girl they vanished like that, sending a bellow of anguish and hate, but Hecate was only gone from here not the death he encased her with. "She will die you have done nothing," "I have, she was a distraction, now the distraction has been removed," "So, you're the so-called Dark Lord. Potter this man killed your parents, this man had my mother killed," anger like never before coiled tightly in every muscle I had, my eyes tingled, but nothing more but Riddle looked at me in a new light. "Impressed, you have great power resting in you," Harry's brain seemed to have jammed. He stared numbly at Riddle, at the orphaned boy who had grown up to murder Harry's parents, and so many others... At last, he forced himself to speak. "You're not," he said, his quiet voice full of hatred. "Not what?" snapped Riddle. "Not the greatest sorcerer in the world," said Harry, breathing fast. "Sorry to disappoint you and all that, but the greatest wizard in the world is Albus Dumbledore, Lady Blacks grandfather. Everyone says so. Even when you were strong, you didn't dare try and take over at Hogwarts. Dumbledore saw through you when you were at school, and he still frightens you now, wherever you're hiding these days -" The smile had gone from Riddle's face, to be replaced by a grim look. "Dumbledore's been driven out of this castle by the mere memory of me!" he hissed. "He's not as gone as you might think!" Harry retorted. He was speaking at random, wanting to scare Riddle, wishing rather than believing it to be true. Riddle opened his mouth but froze. Music was coming from somewhere. Riddle whirled around to stare down the empty Chamber. The music was growing louder. It was eerie, spine-tingling, unearthly; it lifted the hair on my scalp and made my heart feel as though it was swelling to twice its standard size. Then, as the music reached such a pitch that flames erupted at the top of the nearest pillar. A crimson bird, the size of a swan, had appeared, piping its weird music to the vaulted ceiling. It had a glittering golden tail as long as a peacock's and gleaming golden talons, which were gripping a ragged bundle. "Fawkes," I whispered. A second later, the bird was flying straight at us. It dropped the ragged thing it was carrying at Potters feet, then landed heavily on his shoulder while giving me the eye "You see this Potter, it just, shit my grandparents know I am gone," As it folded its magnificent wings. The bird stopped singing. It sat still and warm next to Harry's cheek, gazing steadily at Riddle and not me. "Fawkes?" Harry breathed. "And that -" said Riddle, now eyeing the ragged thing that Fawkes had dropped, "that's the old school Sorting Hat -" Riddle began to laugh again. He laughed so hard that the dark chamber rang with it, as though ten Riddles were shouting at once "This is what Dumbledore sends his defenders! A songbird and an old hat! Do you feel brave, Harry Potter and Lady Black? Do you feel safe now?" "To business, Harry," said Riddle, still smiling broadly. "Twice - in your past, in my future - we have met. And twice I failed to kill you. How did you survive? Tell me everything. The longer you talk," he added softly, "the longer you stay alive." I noticed his form was more apparent now, Hecate had so little time. "No one knows why you lost your powers when you attacked me," said Harry abruptly. "I don't know myself. But I know why you couldn't kill me. Because my mother died to save me. My common Muggle-born mother," he added, shaking with suppressed rage. "She stopped you killing me. And I've seen the real you, I saw you last year. You're a wreck. You're barely alive. That's where all your power got you. You're in hiding. You're ugly, you're foul -" "I killed the body that hosted you, so desperate to living a half-life," I smiled in such a way it disturbed people. Riddle's face contorted. Then he forced it into an awful smile. "So. Your mother died to save you. Yes, that's a powerful counter-charm. I can see now ... there is nothing special about you, after all. I wondered, you see. There are strange likenesses between us, after all. Even you must have noticed. Both half-bloods, orphans, raised by Muggles. Probably the only two Parsalmouth's to come to Hogwarts since the great Slytherin himself. We even look something alike ... but after all, it was merely a lucky chance that saved you from me. That's all I wanted to know." I snorted, "I am a Parselmouth as well, not rare, three in a single chamber," Harry stood, tense, waiting for Riddle to raise his wand. But Riddle's twisted smile was widening again. He cast an amused eye over Fawkes and the Sorting Hat, then walked away. I watched Riddle stop between the high pillars and look up into the stone face of Slytherin, high above him in the half-darkness. Riddle opened his mouth wide and hissed - but Harry understood what he was saying... "Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four. " Harry wheeled around to look up at the statue, Fawkes swaying on his shoulder. Slytherin's gigantic stone face was moving. Horrorstruck, we saw his mouth opening, wider and wider, to make a massive black hole. And something was stirring inside the statue's mouth. Something was slithering up from its depths. Harry backed away until he hit the dark Chamber wall, and as he shut his eyes tight. Something huge hit the stone floor of the Chamber. Feeling it shudder – I knew what was happening, he could sense it, could almost see the giant serpent uncoiling itself from Slytherin's mouth. Then we heard Riddle's hissing voice: "Kill him, then the girl. " The basilisk was moving toward Harry; I could hear its massive body slithering heavily across the dusty floor. Eyes still tightly shut, Harry began to run blindly sideways, his hands outstretched, feeling his way - Voldemort was laughing. Harry tripped. "Too right you're, Potter, this wizard doesn't compare to Albus. Sorry, Riddle, I am the heir of Slytherin, I am Lady Black, and last I am the granddaughter of Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall you will not be re-joining us today," He was substantial enough to use a wand, "Potter take care of the snake, I got this handled," Greenlight flared right pass my head, "A death eater go to curse, here is mine," I waved my wand, "Sectumsempra," catching his left thigh seeing a very foggy type blood spill, he could be hurt but not killed this way. His face could have been described as handsome, but it was contorted with rage and hate. We danced around; I was slammed into the wall when I searched for Potter who was running and climbing. My face throbbing, "Yeah, nice." My wand spinning once it stopped he was rolling through the air before slamming into the cold mildew smelling wall. I sent another, "Stupefy," he dodged it the red flew very close to his head, it was only a distraction when he was able to glance back at me his face was surprised. Another, "Waddiwasi," large chunks of statue hurl themselves into him, slamming into his body knocking him to the floor. "Once I return, you will not be so lucky. I am not even at my best," I snarled, "I wait for the day you do return, Juliet 2 points and Dark Lord 0," knowing right now he was still a memory even if more clear, no spell, no curse I knew could kill him. "You can't kill me," Then he screamed, "LEAVE THE BIRD! LEAVE THE BIRD! THE BOY IS BEHIND YOU. YOU CAN STILL SMELL HIM. KILL HIM," A thought hit me, "Fiendfyre, spirits of fire which burn anything in its path, including nearly indestructible substances," I smirked but then a boulder, no a snake smashed into my chest, a sword was in its chest and Potter was pulling its fang from his forearm. The Basilisk was dead; its last act was to save his master "You died well, beast." I crawled, my leg was broken, "Stab the bloody book, Potter. Basilisk venom can destroy it," a theory, and one I was hoping was proved correct. "You're dead, Harry Potter," said Riddle's voice above him. "Dead. Even Dumbledore's bird knows it. Do you see what he's doing, Potter? He's crying." I laughed more manic than his, "You're stupid, healing tears, Phoenix's tears heal wounds like nothing we have ever found or created," I just tried to buy time and being annoying and rude worked most times. Harry seized the basilisk fang on the floor next to him and plunged it straight into the heart of the book. There was a long, dreadful, piercing scream. Ink spurted out of the diary in torrents, streaming over Harry's hands, flooding the floor. Riddle was writhing and twisting, screaming and flailing and then I was flipping him the bird. He had gone. Hecate's wand fell to the floor with a clatter, and there was silence as I collected her wand. I groaned, "Look, Potter, we made a good team. I might die once I get back up there but you can't live on luck forever, try learning," I was helped up; I hobbled on my left leg as Potter held me up right through the progress up the dark tunnel, a distant sound of slowly shifting rock reached our ears. "Ron!" Harry yelled, speeding up. "Potter, I can't walk that fast," We heard Ron give a strangled cheer, and they turned the next bend to see his eager face staring through the sizable gap he had managed to make in the rock fall. "Juliet was already down there saving Hecate; she defeated him," "Hey now, you killed the basilisk. Now the spiders will not be scared to come eat all of us," Ron paled nearly stumbling over his feet. Lockhart was in a new state, but in time he would be his usual self the charm was only a backfire. Fawkes was fluttering in front of me, his beady eyes bright in the dark. He was waving his long golden tail feathers. "You are just happy you're taking me to get yelled at, I was a toddler and never meant to bite you. Can you please stop holding a grudge?" Fawkes gave a shrill note shaking them yet again. I grasped the feathers, "Hold on to each other, we are about to be screamed at," Harry tucked the sword as we each held on to the other, Lockhart was last. Once in the bathroom, it was empty. "Bloody hell, we're in serious trouble," mumbling as Ron and Harry each grabbed under my arms leading us behind Fawkes, right to Grandmothers office. "Traitor," I spat as Fawkes looked to smirk at me. Harry gave a knock before pushing the door open, my grandparents, Aunt, Uncles, Hecate's mother all stood looking at the three of us all covered in slime and muck, Potter and I in blood. Grandfather was standing by the mantelpiece, beaming, next to Grandmother who was taking great, steadying gasps, clutching her chest. Fawkes went whooshing past Harry's ear and settled on Dumbledore's shoulder, just as Harry found himself and Ron being swept into Mrs. Oakhams tight embrace. Then she bowed to me before letting go and hugging me as well. "You saved her! You saved her! How did you do it?" "I think we'd all like to know that," said Professor McGonagall weakly. Harry, who hesitated for a moment before helping me into a chair, then walked over to the desk and laid upon it the Sorting Hat, the ruby encrusted sword, and what remained of Riddle's diary. Then he started telling them everything. For nearly a quarter of an hour he spoke into the rapt silence: He told them about hearing the disembodied voice, how Hermione had finally realized that he listened to a basilisk in the pipes; how he and Ron had followed the spiders into the forest, that Aragog had told them where the last victim of the basilisk had died; how he had guessed that Moaning Myrtle had been the victim and that the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets might be in her bathroom ... Eyes turned to me, "You lot know I can talk to snakes, I made it my mission to figure it out after Hermione was attacked. I blew the hospital wing up to make a distraction, Weasel and Potter never would have been smart enough to leave the school. I found the chamber the morning of the last attack; when I heard Hecate had been taken, I left by myself to go. After I was already in the chamber did Potter come," Aunt Cassiopeia gave me a look, "You Juliet Black are never leaving the manor and might not be returning to Hogwarts," "Why the manor isn't safe is it? You lied to me, you were not on vacation but attacked by Death Eaters. I will kill them all," anger winning over, she had been my mother, and she was nearly ripped from me. "Enough, both of you are scared and not thinking right," Uncle Sebastian cut in his voice like a knife, ending our argument. "What interests me most," said pop pop Dumbledore gently, "is how Lord Voldemort managed to enchant Hecate when my sources tell me he is currently in hiding in the forests of Albania." Relief - warm, sweeping, glorious relief - swept over me. "W- what's that?" said Mr. Weasley in a stunned voice having just arrived with Mrs. Wealsey. "You-Know-Who? En-enchant Hecate? But Hecate's not ... Hecate hasn't been ... has she?" this was the frantic mothering voice of Mrs. Oakham when the door flew open my god-parents walking through both looking irate. "It was this diary," said Harry quickly, picking it up and showing it to Dumbledore. "Riddle wrote it when he was sixteen . . . ." Dumbledore took the diary from Harry and peered keenly down his long, crooked nose at its burnt and soggy pages. "Brilliant," he said softly. "Of course, he was probably the most brilliant student Hogwarts has ever seen until Juliet." He turned around to the full office who was looking utterly bewildered. "Very few people know that Lord Voldemort was once called Tom Riddle. I taught him myself, fifty years ago, at Hogwarts. He disappeared after leaving the school ... traveled far and wide ... sank so deeply into the Dark Arts, consorted with the very worst of our kind, underwent so many dangerous, magical transformations, that when he resurfaced as Lord Voldemort, he was barely recognizable. Hardly anyone connected Lord Voldemort with the clever, handsome boy who was once Head Boy here." "He is a," but Uncle Severus gave me a look. "Enough, you have worried us all," "If not for her we be dead, I can't live on luck. I umm- I need to learn and need teachers willing to help me," "Bravo Potter, I will help you," I offered he blushed smiling at me. "I seem to remember telling you three that I would have to expel you if you broke any more school rules," I tensed looking at my pop pop. "Which goes to show that the best of us must sometimes eat our words," Dumbledore went on, smiling. "You will each receive Special Awards for Services to the School and - let me see - yes, I think two hundred points apiece for Gryffindor and Slytherin," "I want an award and more strict guidelines for bullying for Myrle Warren; if she was not bullied, she would never have been hiding in the loo. If the teachers took action against Ravenclaw than it could have been prevented," "Yes, of course, my Poppet," "But one of us seems to be keeping mightily quiet about his part in this dangerous adventure," Dumbledore added. "Why so modest, Gilderoy?" Harry gave a start as Ron, and I chuckled. We had forgotten entirely about Lockhart. He turned and saw that Lockhart was standing in the corner of the room, still wearing his vague smile. When Dumbledore addressed him, Lockhart looked over his shoulder to see who he was talking too. "Professor Dumbledore," Ron said quickly, "there was an accident down in the Chamber of Secrets. Professor Lockhart -" "Am I a professor?" said Lockhart in mild surprise. "Goodness. I expect I was hopeless, was I?" "He tried to do a Memory Charm, and the wand backfired," Ron explained quietly to Dumbledore. "Dear me," said Dumbledore, shaking his head, his long silver mustache quivering. "Impaled upon your sword, Gilderoy!" "Would you mind taking Professor Lockhart up to the infirmary, too?" Dumbledore said to everyone huddled in the office. "Id like a few more words with Harry and Juliet ... Lockhart ambled out. Ron cast a curious look back at Dumbledore and Harry as he closed the door behind everyone who filed out, most unwilling. Pop pop Dumbledore crossed to one of the chairs by the fire. "Sit down," he said, and we both sat, feeling unaccountably nervous, the pain in my leg was getting worse, I was covering it with my robes. "First of all, Harry and Juliet, I want to thank you," said Pop Pop, eyes twinkling again. "You must have shown me real loyalty down in the Chamber. Nothing but that could have called Fawkes to you." "I of course am loyal to you pop pop," like it was nothing but to him it was everything, he takes my hand into his as a single tear slips passed his spectacles. He stroked the Phoenix, which had fluttered down onto his knee. "And so you met Tom Riddle," said Dumbledore thoughtfully. "I imagine he was most interested in you . . . . " "Professor Dumbledore ... Riddle said I'm like him. Strange likenesses, he said ... "Did he, now?" said Dumbledore, looking thoughtfully at Harry and I, from under his thick silver eyebrows. "And what do you think, Harry?" but something like shock was heard meaning pop pop thought he would have more interested in me. "I don't think I'm like him!" said Harry, more loudly than he'd intended I guess. "I mean, I'm - I'm in Gryffindor, I'm . . ." But he fell silent, a lurking doubt resurfacing in his mind. "Professor," he started again after a moment. "The Sorting Hat told me I'd – I'd have done well in Slytherin. Everyone thought I was Slytherin's heir for a while ... because I can speak Parseltongue... "You can speak Parseltongue, Harry," said Dumbledore calmly, "because Lord Voldemort - who thought he was the last remaining ancestor of Salazar Slytherin - can speak Parseltongue. Unless I'm much mistaken, he transferred some of his powers to you the night he gave you that scar. Not something he intended to do, I'm sure... "Voldemort put a bit of himself in me?" Harry said, thunderstruck. My heart stopped in that minute, I skimmed over a very dark ritual once, and it mentions something very similar. "It certainly seems so." "So I should be in Slytherin," Harry said, looking desperately into Dumbledore's face. "The Sorting Hat could see Slytherin's power in me, and it -" I snapped, "My house is not that bad, Saint Potter," "Put you in Gryffindor," said Dumbledore calmly. "Listen to me, Harry. You happen to have many qualities Salazar Slytherin prized in his hand-picked students. His own very rare gift, Parseltongue - resourcefulness - determination - a certain disregard for rules," he added, his mustache quivering again. "Yet the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor. You know why that was. Think." "It only put me in Gryffindor," said Harry in a defeated voice, "because I asked not to go in Slytherin . . . ." `Exactly, "said Dumbledore, beaming once more. "Which makes you very different from Tom Riddle. It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. Juliet the very same goes for you, you are a Slytherin but show your traits on your sleeve, loyal like Hufflepuff, brilliant as any Ravenclaw, Brave so very brave like Gryffindor," Harry sat motionless in his chair, while I grimaced in pain. "If you want proof, Harry, that you belong in Gryffindor, I suggest you look more closely at this." Dumbledore reached across to Grandmothers desk, picked up the blood-stained silver sword, and handed it to Harry. Dully, Harry turned it over, the rubies blazing in the firelight. And then he saw the name engraved just below the hilt. Godric Gryffindor "Only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that out of the hat, Harry," said Dumbledore quietly. "What about a direct descent of Godric?" "Yes, they could as well," he smiled at me his blue eyes twinkling. For a minute, neither of them spoke. Then Dumbledore pulled open one of the drawers in Grandmothers desk and took out a quill and a bottle of ink. "What you need, Harry is some food and sleep. Juliet you as well after you get your injured leg fixed up. I suggest you go down to the feast, while I write to Azkaban - we need our gamekeeper back. And I must draft an advertisement for the Daily Prophet, too," he added thoughtfully. "We'll be needing a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher... Dear me, we do seem to run through them, don't we?" Harry got up and crossed to the door. He had just reached for the handle, however, when the door burst open so violently that it bounced back off the wall. Lucius Malfoy stood there, fury in his face. And cowering behind his legs, heavily wrapped in bandages, was Dobby. I stood taller now; I was more than capable of taking him even with a bum leg. "Good evening, Lucius," said Dumbledore pleasantly. Mr. Malfoy almost knocked Harry over as he swept into the room he avoided contact with me, he paid a very handsome fine for his bullying tactics. Dobby went scurrying in after him, crouching at the hem of his cloak, a look of abject terror on his face. The elf was carrying a stained rag with which he was attempting to finish cleaning Mr. Malfoys shoes. Mr. Malfoy had set out in a great hurry, for not only were his boots half-polished, but his usually sleek hair was disheveled. Ignoring the elf bobbing apologetically around his ankles, he fixed his cold eyes upon Dumbledore. "So!" he said "You've come back. The governors suspended you, but you still saw fit to return to Hogwarts." I cut in, "Well, you see, Lucius," smiling serenely, "the other eleven governors contacted me today. It was something like being caught in a hailstorm of owls. They'd heard that Bethany Oakhams daughter had been killed and wanted Grandfather back here at once. They seemed to think he was the best man for the job after all. Extraordinary tales they told me, too... Several of them seemed to think that you had threatened to curse their families if they didn't agree to suspend him in the first place. Now, now, didn't you pay a large sum due to these same tactics?" Mr. Malfoy went even paler than usual, but his eyes were still slits of fury. "So - have you stopped the attacks yet?" he sneered. "Have you caught the culprit?" "We have," said Dumbledore, with a smile. "Well?" said Mr. Malfoy sharply. "Who is it?" "The same person as last time, Lucius," said Dumbledore. "But this time, Lord Voldemort was acting through somebody else. Utilizing this diary." He held up the small black book with the large hole through the center, watching Mr. Malfoy closely. Harry, however, was watching Dobby, so my eyes turned to him as well. The elf was doing something very odd. His great eyes fixed meaningfully on Harry, he kept pointing at the diary, then at Mr. Malfoy, and then thumping himself on the head with his fist. "I see. . . " said Lord Malfoy slowly to Dumbledore. "A clever plan," said Dumbledore in a level voice, still staring Mr. Malfoy straight in the eye. "Because if Harry and my granddaughter here" -Lord Malfoy shot us a swift, sharp look - "and his friend Ron hadn't discovered this book, why – Hecate Oakham might have taken all the blame. No one would ever have been able to prove she hadn't acted of her own free will ... Lord Malfoy said nothing. His face was suddenly masklike. "And imagine," pop pop went on, "what might have happened then... The Oakham's is one of our most prominent pure-blood families. Imagine the effect on Mr. Oakham and his Muggle Protection Act, if his daughter was discovered attacking and - killing Muggle-borns ... Very fortunate the diary was discovered, and Riddle's memories wiped from it. "Who knows what the consequences might have been otherwise ... Mr. Malfoy forced himself to speak. "Very fortunate," he said stiffly. And still, behind his back, Dobby was pointing, first to the diary, then to Lucius Malfoy, then punching himself in the head. Heartbreaking seeing such a loyal elf force to self-harm. Harry nodded at Dobby, and Dobby backed into a corner, now twisting his ears in punishment. "Don't you want to know how Hecate got hold of that diary, and in turn gave it to Hecate because Hecate loves old journals, Mr. Malfoy?" said Harry. Lucius Malfoy rounded on him. "How should I know how the stupid little girl got hold of it?" he said. "Because you gave it to her," said Harry. "In Flourish and Blotts. You picked up her old Transfiguration book and slipped the diary inside it, didn't you?" He saw Mr. Malfoy's white hands clench and unclench. "Prove it," he hissed. I moved closer to the older man, "Oh, I will. I will see you rotting away in Azkaban," "Now that Riddle has vanished from the book. On the other hand, I would advise you, Lucius, not to go giving out any more of Lord Voldemort's old school things. If any more of them find their way into clean hands, I think Arthur Weasley, for one, will make sure they are traced back to you ... Lucius Malfoy stood for a moment, and we distinctly saw his right-hand twitch as though he was longing to reach for his wand. Instead, he turned to his house-elf. "We're going, Dobby!" He wrenched open the door, and as the elf came hurrying up to him, he kicked him right through it. They could hear Dobby squealing with pain all the way along the corridor. Even on a bum leg, I was after him; Dobby was a good elf with my wand pointed at his back. "You're nothing but a second-rate death eater, Malfoy," his cold eyes locked with mine. "You child will learn your place," "Try and show me, and I will show you how miss placed your arrogance is," "Mr. Malfoy," Harry gasped, skidding to a halt next to me. "I've got something for you -" And he forced the smelly sock covered diary into Lucius Malfoy's hand. "What the -?" Mr. Malfoy ripped the sock off the diary, threw it aside, then looked furiously from the ruined book to Harry. "You'll meet the same sticky end as your parents one of these days, Harry Potter," he said softly. "They were meddlesome fools, too. He turned to go. "Come, Dobby. I said, come." But Dobby didn't move. He was holding up Harry's disgusting, slimy sock, and looking at it as though it were a priceless treasure. "Master has given a sock," said the elf in wonderment. "Master gave it to Dobby." "What's that?" spat Lord Malfoy. "What did you say?" "Got a sock," said Dobby in disbelief. "Master threw it, and Dobby caught it, and Dobby - Dobby is free. " "You've lost me, my servant, you both will regret it," But Dobby shouted, "You shall not harm Harry Potter and his girlfriend," Oh dear, he has this confused. There was a loud bang, and Lord Malfoy was thrown backward. He crashed down the stairs, three at a time, landing in a crumpled heap on the landing below. He got up, his face livid, and pulled out his wand, but Dobby raised a long, threatening finger. "You shall go now," he said fiercely, pointing down at Mr. Malfoy. "You shall not touch them. You shall go now." Lucius Malfoy had no choice. With a last, incensed stare at the pair of them, he swung his cloak around him and hurried out of sight. "Harry Potter freed Dobby!" said the elf shrilly, gazing up at Harry, moonlight from the nearest window reflected in his orb-like eyes. "Harry Potter set Dobby free!" 'Good job for once Potter used that brain," I crashed to the floor; darkness was all I saw.


	15. Final

**Here is the last chapter, for this story. Let me know if you all you like part three to be posted. I have the entire story which is 7 parts done.**

I could feel staring, even in this blissful blackness, I could hear voices so close as I struggled to open my eyes. I was in no pain, but red hair, black hair, and hair the color of a dark red wine blurred my vision. "My sweet girl," it was Auntie Cassiopeia who was staring in worry, her face paler than usual.

My voice weaker seeing Professor Sprout and Ma'dam Pomphrey bustling about in the back wing, "She can go, mending bones is easy work," easy after you blacked out from pain.

Auntie gave her a stern look, even as I stood, "This feels much better," a few tense moments as we walked to the double doors.

Auntie Cassiopeia gave me a small smile, "The feast is about to begin, I suggest you change. Here let me," her wand moved my eyes trailing over my clothes as they turned silver and black, cotton, and now I stood in my pajama's and slippers.

"Everyone is in them,"

I had been to several Hogwarts feasts, but never one quite like this. Everybody was in their pajamas, and the celebration lasted all night. I sit with my friends at the Slytherin table with house's moving around talking to friends, Susan and Hannah, Cho, Luna, Astoria, and Padma, Lavender, Gin, and Parvati at my table just laughing. I was looking at Potter and Ronald who gave me a smile and nod when her now hectic emotions touched mine. I could see the twins nearly out of their seats, but they knew right now they could not come out to the entire school a triad is very rare.

The door's opened and in burst Hermione, Justin, and Daphne. My heart raced my feet moving as we launched ourselves at the other, same with Az and Daphne. Her hair was in my nose in my mouth, but we clung to the other sobbing until we knew to let go. I hugged Daphne as the New Order all came hugging, including Fred and George who finally feet whole. They moved back to Potter and Ronald, hugging and shaking hands, I wouldn't embrace Ronald either.

The rest of the final term passed in a haze of blazing sunshine. Hogwarts was back to normal with only a few, small differences - Defense Against the Dark Arts classes were canceled ("but we've had plenty of practice at that anyway," I told a disgruntled Hermione and faithful to my word Lucius Malfoy had been sacked as a school governor. On the other hand, Hecate Oakham was perfectly happy again.

Too soon, it was time for the journey home on the Hogwarts Express. I am with the new order as Hermione the twins, Ronald, and Harry all have another compartment, she needed her time with them, the three might be the golden trio, but they held nothing on the new order.

They were almost at King's Cross when Harry remembered something.

"Ginny - what did you see Percy doing, that he didn't want you to tell anyone?"

"Oh, that," said Ginny, giggling. "Well - Percy's got a girlfriend." Avery dropped a stack of books on Millie's head.

"What?"

"It's that Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater," said Ginny. "That's who he was writing to all last summer. He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day,"

"I thought he was ya know, gay," I was very wrong; he had himself a beautiful girl.

The Hogwarts Express slowed and finally stopped.

I dreaded summer at times, but maybe this one would not be as bad. I grabbed Hermione as we exited the train, "Here, this is called a telephone number," he told Ron, scribbling it three times, tearing the parchment in three, and handing it to them. "I told your dad how to use a telephone last summer - he'll know. Call me at the Dursleys', okay? I can't stand another two months with only Dudley to talk to ...

"Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?" said Luna as they got off the train and joined the crowd thronging toward the enchanted barrier. "When they hear what you did this year?"

"Proud?" said Harry. "Are you crazy? All those times I could've died, and I didn't manage it? They'll be furious ...

And together they walked back through the gateway to the Muggle world.

Hermione and I walked to my Uncle and Auntie who happen to be standing next to the Dursley's. "I will be in touch," Daphne and Astoria smiled hugging me one last time.

Avery snorted, "I will make sure to come visit," her mother was waving with this substantial proud smile until her daughter was giving her a hug, not all muggle-borns and muggles are bad.

Aunt Jean was there when Auntie Cassiopeia smirked, "Have a pleasant summer hols, Harry. Petunia, we're watching," not like the arse muggles cared.

"They don't care, Auntie,"

Her very Slytherin smirk grew, "I have a little surprise,"


End file.
